Til Death Do Us Part
by Totentanz
Summary: A Voodoo Queen forces Beast Boy and Raven into Holy Matrimony, without the help of the other Titans they must coexist or risk losing their powers forever...will they be able to make their marriage work or is this truly a Match made in Hell? BBxRae!
1. We're Not In Kansas Anymore

Hello all! I'm back with another story, but that doesn't mean I have left "Pygmalion" that will still be continuing because I love it so much! Anyways, I know I said I wasn't going to post this until after that fic wrapped up, but then I got to writing this and wanted to share it so badly that I couldn't resist! So I hope you all enjoy!

XOXO,

Meg

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Teen Titans… :(

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**Chapter 1: We're Not In Kansas Anymore**

Scorching heat beat down ferociously against the Titan's Tower leaving no prisoners as it bored itself on the Tower's occupants mercilessly. Inside sat five sweltering teens strewn out lazily across various chairs and couches. Beads of sweat persisted to crawl down each of their backs, and the incessant humming of the air conditioner refused to give them any peace. "Well folks, today marks day nine of this unusual heat wave and we have finally topped the previous record. It is 110 degrees, the hottest day September has ever seen! We can only hope that this incoming storm from the north brings a cold front. Back to you Stephen…"

"Thank you Karen, in other news…" The anchorman's deep voice droned on to an inattentive audience, each Titan was lost in their own hazy thoughts. Suddenly, a long guttural groan interrupted their lethargy and each looked up to see a thick cloud of black smoke coming from the air vent. The AC's humming had ceased and was now replaced by what sounded like an old carburetor on its last legs. The common room began to stale; a heavy layer of heat encompassed the five Titan's.

"I can't stand it anymore!" The green skinned boy, known as Beast Boy, whined as he idly slammed his fist down on the couch cushion. His white undershirt was clinging to his body, drenched with sweat. "I'm gonna die!"

"Stop being so dramatic, you're making it worse." A violet haired girl, Raven, said just as tired of the heat as everyone else.

"I'm _not_ being dramatic! I'm so freakin' tired of this!" He snapped back grouchily.

"Friends do not fight, we are all being affected by the heat." The exotic looking alien named Starfire said interposing in the small feud. "It is quite hot in here friend Robin, may we find another place to go?"

"Well, we should get the air conditioner fixed." Starfire looked at the Boy Wonder with large green eyes that he couldn't let down. "I guess that could wait though." He sighed. "What do you guys want to do, movie?"

"Do you know how crowded it'll be? It's Labor Day, plus it's like a million degrees out! Everyone will be there." Beast Boy stated crossing his arms over his chest. Starfire thought for a moment as she continued to fan herself with the fan she had made out of newspaper. An advertisement on the paper caught her eye, upon smoothing her makeshift fan out she saw gold words scrawled out in fancy old world script on a crimson background. There were sketches of sideshow events and a Ferris wheel.

"Carnival! This weekend only!"

"Is it outside?" Cyborg asked as he wiped his mechanical torso with a paper towel.

"It says here that it is located in the Big Top Arena. Oh can we go?" Starfire begged.

"I'm in!" Beast Boy grinned at the opportunity of actually doing something other than sitting around.

"Let's go."

"Glorious!" Starfire flew up into the air jubilantly. The other three Titan's got up off the their seats save for one.

"Oh c'mon Raven! It beats sitting around here!" Cyborg said as he and the others headed for the elevator.

"Yeah Rae you might actually have fun." The changeling chimed in with a goofy grin plastered on his face. The girl ignored his pestering but still got up from her seat and joined her friends in the elevator. "That's the spirit!" Raven turned to Beast Boy, raising a very unenthused eyebrow. "…Or not…" He laughed nervously as he ran a hand through his sweaty hair. An awkward silence fell over the teens as they stood in the elevator and at that point Beast Boy knew it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Three giant tents striped red and white stood tall amidst rather dry looking trees. Multicolored balloons filled the skies and various people on stilts and in costumes walked around waving to patrons and juggling. Lions prowled in golden cages and elephants marched around gleefully giving children rides. Inside the tents they were getting ready for a performance. "Hey, isn't the Carnival supposed to be in here?" Robin asked one of the maintenance men fixing electrical cords. He hoisted the jeans around his waist and adjusted his baseball cap before answering.

"Behind the tents sonny." At this statement the group of teens turned to Starfire.

"I must have misread it, sorry." The alien princess apologized giving them a weak smile. "Could we still go?" She asked hopefully. With nothing else to do and being that they were already there, the four others nodded their heads in unison and they headed out into the boiling afternoon. Behind the tents wasn't any different then what was in front, except there were carnival games and rides decorating the grounds as well as clowns and jugglers. Pop music blasted from every ride's entrance, the kind that Starfire loved, and the kind that Raven detested. Although it was hot out, that did not stop people from coming to enjoy the various attractions of the carnival, as there were so many crowds. "Let's go on that!" Starfire was pointing at a boat ride that was sloshing water all over the place. Raven followed her friends to the ride, but upon further inspection she knew that there was no way she was going to go on it. The boats weren't boats at all but white swans with pink bows around their necks.

"No. I'm not going on that." Raven stated, stopping in her tracks her arms crossed over her chest strong in her decision.

"Why not?" Robin looked up at what the violet haired girl was staring at and blushed. He didn't notice it until now, but saw why she refused to go on the ride. A glittery pink heart flashed over a dark tunnel and crimson letters shined above that, spelling out 'The Tunnel of Love.' "Oh."

"Friend Robin…will you go on the swan with me?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"Uh…" She took his stuttering as a yes and before he could say another word the girl grabbed his hand and pulled him off in the direction of the queue.

"Looks like the love birds will be having fun." Cyborg laughed hysterically as he saw his friend's beat red face disappear in the crowd. After regaining his composure, the robot eyed his other teammates, a devious idea forming in his head. "Why don't you two go on?"

"No!" Both shouted at the same time, each going very red.

"Aw you know you wanna." Cyborg chided.

"Believe me, I would have to go through a lobotomy before even considering that sort of torture." Raven stated dryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy questioned eyeing the girl angrily. But she stood her ground, refusing to give in.

"It means that I would never want to be trapped in a dark tunnel with _you _of all people."

"You think it would be fun for me?"

"Well, at least I wouldn't be making bad attempts at jokes."

"At least I have a sense of humor!" Beast Boy retorted frustrated with Raven. He couldn't stand when she would make snippy remarks and he wasn't going to take it anymore.

"Guys I was joking, calm down!" Cyborg interjected, coming between the two. He was used to this sort of fighting between his friends but he could tell the heat was getting to them, as it had never escalated to this level so quickly.

"Why do you always have to be so mean?" The changeling yelled.

"_I'm_ not mean."

"Yes you are! All. The. Time." At this, Raven's eyes began to glow dangerously.

"CALM DOWN!" Cyborg yelled causing both Titan's to look at him. Raven's eyes reverted to their violet hue and Beast Boy unclenched his fists. "Now, both of you need to stop fighting, you're causing a scene." He chastised them as if they were children. Beast Boy and Raven both stared down at the ground, ashamed at their behavior but both refusing to apologize.

"Troubled child?" A low accented voice questioned. Raven turned to see a dark woman shrouded in a crimson gown and pounds of gold jewelry ushering her over with a long spindly finger. The woman was set up in a small tent built with dark black and blue fabrics, incense poured out of containers hanging from tight ropes, and candles burnt brightly in the shadowy space. "Come sit and I shall tell you of your future." Out of curiosity, Raven walked over to the mysterious woman's tent and sat across from her on a dark purple ottoman.

"Sorry but, I don't really believe in the fortune tellers that are found at Carnivals."

"Oh, I'm no fortune teller dear, I'm Madame Laveau renowned Voodoo Queen." Raven stared at the woman skeptically.

"Right…"

"You don't believe me, _Miss Raven_?" Madame Laveau said smiling at the shock she brought to the girl's face. When she got no reply she spoke again. "Well, if that be the case, let's allow the cards to do the talking."

"I don't think so."

"Why not? Afraid of what's in store for you?"

"No, I told you that I don't believe in it." Madame Laveau smiled slyly, her dark eyes twinkling.

"If you don't believe, then what is wrong with having a little fun?"

"Raven's incapable of that." Upon hearing him, the girl whipped her head around to see Beast Boy standing behind her.

"Ah, the boy you were quarreling with. You should sit and hear this as well; your futures are very much intertwined." The changeling laughed heartily and shook his head.

"I'll pass, I don't believe in that _Miss Cleo_ sort of stuff." At his comment the smile from Madame Laveau's face fell into a frown.

"Well do you believe it is wise to offend me child? I have two disbelievers in my midst." The woman unclothed her Tarot cards and began to flip them in an intricate pattern. She raised her eyes to the pair in front of her and looked at them confidently. "Would you believe me if I told you how your constant fighting has been affecting your friends? Your anger towards each other has been upsetting fate! This is no good." Madame Laveau shook her head, her long golden earrings jingling with the motion. "No good at all. Both of you need to settle your differences now or else perish." At this statement Beast Boy burst into a fit laughter.

"And _you_ called me dramatic!"

"You laugh now, but I assure you that will change come morning."

"Why what's gonna happen?" The boy prodded.

"Oh don't worry, you'll see soon enough." As if on cue, a giant clap of thunder accentuated her words followed by a massive downpour of rain.

"Imagine that." Beast Boy mused at the odd occurrence but shook it off immediately. "Rae, let's get outta here, we need to find the others." The changeling turned to leave and Raven was about to do the same when the woman's hand clasped over hers.

"Before you leave, I have gifts for the two of you." Madame Laveau opened up a chest on the table next to the one where her Tarot cards were laying. She pulled out a smaller, plain dark oak box. The woman opened it slowly revealing two silver rings, one a larger band with small carvings of what appeared to be foreign inscriptions and the other the same, except slightly smaller and with tiny sapphires speckling the outside of the band. "Why don't you try them on?" Raven and Beast Boy looked at each other skeptically before the boy rolled his emerald eyes.

"C'mon they're only rings, nothing's gonna happen. Besides, none of this stuff is real." Beast Boy took the rings out of the box and first placed his on his left ring finger before grabbing Raven's hand.

"I can put it on myself." She said annoyed removing her hand from his, taking the ring and putting it on.

"Now, goodbye children and remember tomorrow is a new day." The woman smiled kindly as the two Titan's left her tent, as soon as they were distant enough she began to utter words of an ancient tongue under her breath, Madame Laveau's dark gaze never leaving the pair.

"Weird lady." Beast Boy said as he and Raven walked through the rain towards the 'Tunnel of Love' ride, enjoying the coolness of the shower. "But the rings are pretty cool."

"Where were you guys? It's coming down bad! We gotta get out of here!" Cyborg yelled over the crowd of people scurrying to get out of the fairgrounds. Robin and Starfire stood beside him and once Beast Boy and Raven met up with them, the five made their way back to the car, two of the Titans not giving their new gifts any second thought.

The rain persisted to fall heavily, refusing to stop. The Tower that was once boiling hot was now freezing and the Titan's sat in the common room each cloaked in blankets, watching a scary movie. Raven had long since gone to sleep and now that it was nearing midnight Beast Boy was feeling rather tired as well, which was odd for him being that he was usually the last up. Glancing over at the clock on the wall he saw that it was only 11:45. _'Must have been all the excitement today.'_ He thought as he got up to leave, dragging his crochet blanket along with him. "I'll cya guys tomorrow."

"Turning in all ready BB?" Cyborg asked somewhat shocked. "You're usually the nocturnal one."

"Tired man, …need sleep." Beast Boy droned as he drifted into the hallway and off towards his bedroom. He was trapped in a hazy, dreamlike state as he tripped down over the carpet crashing into the walls on occasion. The changeling was overtaken by such a need for sleep that he barely made it to his room, passing out on his very messy floor. On his nightstand, the florescent numbers on his alarm clock flashed 12:00 AM. Lightening illuminated the room; and the power went out leaving the entire Tower in blackness and quiet. The numbers on the clock were frozen at midnight and in that moment, everything stood still.

* * *

Morning came slowly and the rain was still coming down in buckets. Raven woke up to a pale-gray light filtering through the window; the girl groaned refusing to open her eyes. Still exhausted she turned over on her side to hide from the day. But something was in her way; rather something was around her waist. Raven moved her hand down to her side and felt something warm wrapped around her, something that felt an awful lot like an arm. Her stomach twisted into knots at the thought of someone in _her_ bed and immediately her eyes fluttered open and adjusted quickly. She saw a boy about her age sleeping peacefully next to her with one arm draped over her waist, and at that moment she let out a bloodcurdling scream, backing up as far away from him as possible getting tangled in the sheets and falling off the bed, landing on cold wooden floors. Raven down at her pajamas. With a sigh of relief she saw that she was still in the tank top and sweat pants she went to bed in, but that was the only thing she found the same. Next were her surroundings, she was certainly _not _in her room. The walls were painted a dusty blue and white curtains hanged from the windows. A light wooden bed was in the center of the large room and a dresser and mirror sat on the opposite wall. Raven held on to the desk by her side for support and picked herself up slowly from the floor. "I fell asleep in _my_ room, in the Tower...this is a dream..." She muttered trying to reassure herself. Carefully the girl walked across the room and to the mirror, peering into it tentatively, not prepared for what she saw. Another scream erupted from her mouth at the sight, this time one loud enough to wake up the young man in the bed.

"What's with the screaming?" Raven turned to see him open his dark emerald eyes, and a look of pure horror spread over her pale face as she let out another shrill scream. "Rae, is that you? What are you doing in my room?" The boy looked down at his hands and back up to the girl. "Why aren't I green?" Quickly he got up from the bed and ran over to the mirror next to where Raven was standing. In the reflection he saw someone completely different. His hair was a dirty blonde and his skin no longer green, but lightly tanned. Freckles speckled the bridge of his nose and his ears were rounded. The boy looked down to his side and inspected Raven more carefully. Her hair was a darker, black and her eyes a much lighter shade, a soft blue. The girl's skin was still pale but was not as gray in color, but what was most striking was the fact that her red gemstone no longer sat atop her forehead, more specifically on her Ajna Chakra.

"Beast Boy, what the hell is going on?" Raven asked shakily, holding onto the dresser for support. Beast Boy scratched the back of his neck completely clueless.

"I have no idea."

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dun Dun DUN! Where are they? Why do they look like regular people? Why is Beast Boy shirtless? So many questions that are just begging to be answered! grins Hehe, I hope you all liked this! I'm so excited about this story:D I really hope you guys are as well! So please review!

XOXO,

Meg


	2. There's Tofu In That Fridge!

Here's Chapter 2! **(A/N: EDIT)** **I had to repost it because for some reason it wouldn't show...I think it's because of me thanking my reviewers specifically at the end of each chapter...that is explained at the bottom. ** Special super thanks to SxStrngSamurai13 for helping me out so much on this story! I really am grateful! Anyways, on with the show…I will not bore you all with my talk…  
XOXO,  
Meg

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Teen Titans; DC created them…not me, although that would be cool!

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**Chapter 2: There's Tofu in That Fridge!**

"What did you do?" Raven asked a strong tone of panic blanketed her usually stable voice.

"What did _I _do? You're the one with the magic!" Beast Boy noted still stunned by his reflection. He touched his face tentatively amazed by his tan skin.

"No, I didn't do this..." The girl trailed off thinking of how this could have happened, how both her and Beast Boy could be standing in front of the same mirror, looking like regular versions of their rather irregular selves. "Wait…" What Beast Boy had said had made her realize something. "Our powers…try turning into an animal."

"Which one?"

"I don't care, just choose one!" Raven shouted growing frustrated with Beast Boy's inability to pay attention. He closed his eyes in concentration and attempted to transform into a cat. He pictured the small paws and the soft fur. But the boy didn't feel the sensation he got when shifting, he opened one eye to see if anything had changed but all he saw was Raven staring at him intently. "Well?"

"It isn't working! I can't do it!" Beast Boy ran his hands through his now blonde hair and sat down on the edge of the unmade bed. "My powers are broken!" Raven sighed heavily and closed her eyes, she knew that if his were gone, it probably went the same for hers, but she still had to try. She muttered her mantra under her breath and attempted to lift herself off the floor, but her feet stayed put refusing to budge. Her concentration was immense but it didn't matter how hard she tried, nothing happened.

"Mine are too." Raven whispered looking around the room for any indication to aid her in figuring out what was happening. She decided that the first thing to do was to figure out where they were. Raven quickly made her way over to the window and looked outside. She saw tall buildings and signs with what appeared to be Chinese characters painted on them. There were various stores and restaurants with bright Oriental decorations. "Beast Boy, we're in Chinatown."

"What?" He asked getting up from the bed and walking over to the window. "Dude, how'd we end up here?" Raven didn't respond to his question, she was too busy looking for other clues. Noticing a large brown purse on the chair near the desk she began to rifle through it. "What are you looking for?" Raven found what she was looking for, a crème colored wallet, and pulled it out. With some hesitance she opened it and looked at the driver's license through its plastic casing. The color in her cheeks paled and her blue eyes widened in horror. Raven's heart rose into her throat at the sight she saw. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow at her strange expression.

"What's wrong Rae?" He asked concerned.

"Go find your wallet."

"What?"

"Just go find it!" Her urgent tone sent the boy running around the room in search of his wallet, although he wasn't exactly sure as to what he was looking for. Finding a pair of pants lying in a pile by the door, he fished around in the pocket and pulled out a black leather wallet.

"Look at your driver's license." Raven instructed. Beast Boy opened it and pulled out the license inside. His green eyes widened just as Raven's had.

"I'm twenty-four! Dude! Yesterday I was seventeen! How am I twenty-four?"

"What's your name?" The boy's eyes drifted up to the black bold lettering at the top and sighed.

"Garfield Logan." He stated confused not used to seeing his birth name as oppose to Beast Boy. At his confirmation of the worst, Raven began to shake her head as if trying to ignore what he said.

"Oh no, this_ cannot_ be happening…"

"Why? What's yours say?"

"No, no, no…"

"What's with you?" Beast Boy walked back over to where the girl was standing and plucked the wallet out of her hands and peered down at the license. "Oh no, no, no!" Looking at her name he understood why she was so horrified, the black bold letters on her license spelled out 'Raven **Logan**.' "We're…" The boy couldn't finish his sentence; he was too embarrassed, blood flowed to his face painting him rather red.

"…Married." Raven murmured finishing what he was trying to say.

"No! We can't be! I bet we're just…um, related? Brother and sister!"

"Why would a brother and sister be sleeping in the same bed at twenty-four? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Well us being married is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! How did that happen?" Beast Boy shrieked. Raven threw the wallet back into the purse and crossed her arms over her chest.

"For the last time Beast Boy…I. Don't. Know. I only know just as much as you do." There was an awkward silence, the rain continued to patter against the window, as the two stood there, neither one daring to look at the other.

"Let's look at the rest of the apartment, maybe there's something else here." Beast Boy made his way over to the bedroom door followed by Raven, both shuffling their feet afraid of what they were going to see.

They walked down a short hallway and into a good-sized living room. It was painted a peach color and had hard wood floors like the bedroom. A moss green loveseat sofa sat in front of a coffee table in the center of the room facing an entertainment center. Behind it sat barstools at a counter, and beyond those was a small kitchen. Raven looked to her right and saw a desk, complete with a computer. Next to the computer were picture frames. The girl picked up one of them and looked at the picture it was holding. It was of hers and Beast Boy's wedding day. They were outside standing in front of a large fountain. Beast Boy was dressed in a classic black tux and bow-tie smiling. He had his arm around Raven. She wore an off-white corseted gown that jutted out at the hips into a very full skirt. Her arms were encased in elbow length gloves and she was holding a bouquet of red roses. Raven's hair was up in a bun and veiled in lace, but what was most shocking to her was not the ornate dress or how she was wearing her hair but what she was wearing on her face, a huge smile. "Whoa, that's us…" Beast Boy looked over her shoulder, just as surprised as she was. Raven turned around to face him a serious expression covering her features.

"Do you have your communicator?" The girl asked. Beast Boy searched the pockets of his pajama bottoms and came up with nothing. "Great. I don't have mine either." Raven crossed the room and sat on the couch burying her face in her hands. She hated feeling out of control, and just the thought of being married to Beast Boy gave her a headache. Beast Boy walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. He didn't want to admit that he was scared, but he knew he was. Seeing Raven just as scared as he was, Raven was one of the most collected people he knew and her showing fear was something he thought he would never see, if she was afraid then their situation is far worse than Beast Boy imagined.

"I've got an idea Rae."

"_Raven_." She corrected automatically, her voice slightly muffled by her hands.

"Whatever, how about we just go to the Tower! I bet they are wondering where we are, I mean, they wake up and neither of us is there…I'm sure they're freaking out." Raven looked up at the boy, surprised.

"That's _actually_ a good idea Beast Boy." He grinned from ear to ear and stood up.

"Well let's get going then." Beast Boy was heading for the door when Raven spoke up.

"I think we should probably put on regular clothes." Raven stood and walked down the hallway to the bedroom, Beast Boy right behind her. First she checked the closet and found dresses that she doubted she would ever wear and a few nice blouses and skirts hanging. On the other end were what she presumed to be Beast Boy's clothes. Dress slacks, nice shirts, and ties. Only finding dressy clothing, Raven turned to see if the boy had found anything in the dresser. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He said suspiciously closing the top drawer very fast. Raven raised a black eyebrow and walked over to the dresser, opening the drawer that he was so quick to close. Peering inside, she saw what he was blushing about. The drawer was completely saturated with women's undergarments, presumably hers being that she was the only female that she knew of living in the apartment. "You have a lot of…um, _stuff_." He muttered holding up what looked to be some sort of fishing lure.

"_I _didn't buy that." Raven hissed grabbing the underwear from his hands and shoving it back in the drawer. Rolling her eyes she opened the next two drawers to find that they held more of her clothes. Shirts, pants, skirts and room for socks, the girl pulled out a pair of jeans and a navy blue t-shirt with tiny purple flowers speckling it. She found a pair of shoes in the closet. "I'm changing in the bathroom. I'm assuming your clothes are in the last three drawers. Knock on the bathroom door when you're done." Raven swiftly made her exit, leaving Beast Boy to his own devices. Opening one of his drawers he found jeans and a green t-shirt with a silhouette of a fleur-de-lis outlined in black. He grabbed a pair of sneakers out of the closet from where Raven found hers, put on his clothes and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Finished." Raven opened the door and came out putting her hair in a ponytail. Beast Boy smiled at the girl. "You look nice in regular clothes."

"Thanks." She said brushing off the comment, walking over to her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "Get your wallet." Raven reminded the boy as she rummaged through the bag in hopes of finding keys to some sort of vehicle since neither could fly to the Tower and it was quite far from Chinatown. Grasping something jagged and cool, she pulled it out to see a key ring with three keys on it, one appearing to be a car key.

"Why don't I have a car?" Beast Boy complained looking around the room for a set of keys. Raven shrugged and walked out into the hallway and into the living room, spotting keys on the key holder hanging by the door. She had hoped that the boy wouldn't see them, but to her grief he spotted them right away. "Oh yeah! I bet these are mine, I'm so driving!"

"No you are not." Raven stated in a maternal tone, something she felt she was doing a lot of for the past hour. The girl felt more like a mother to Beast Boy then a wife.

"Aw, c'mon! What if my car is way cooler than yours?"

"I don't care, I'm not getting in a car if you're driving." The two stepped out of their apartment, Raven being sure to lock the door behind them, arguing all the way down the stairs and out onto the street where they were accosted with smells of Chinese foods and the drizzling, cool, rain. Looking at the long row of parallel-parked cars, Beast Boy sighed.

"Well, how do we figure this one out since you seem to be the one with all the answers?" He stated smartly, crossing his arms over her chest.

"Easy." Raven retorted as she pressed the 'unlock' button on the car alarm attached to her keys. Down the row, the lights on a blue Toyota Yaris lit up. "See."

"I wanna see what I have!" Beast Boy said excitedly as he pushed down on the alarm system on his key ring. Right next to Raven's car he saw something that made him jump up in sheer ecstasy, his very own moped in red and khaki, equipped with a very bright light. "Yes!" He ran over to it and sat on the black seat with joy. "Come on!"

"No, I told you I'm not driving with you."

"Oh, but you see…you said _car_! Nothing about mopeds!" Beast Boy was grinning like a fool as he patted the back of the seat.

"We need helmets." Raven noted, trying to find any excuse to not get on the back of his moped. He got off the seat and opened it, to his pleasure he saw two helmets and pulled them out.

"Ooh, look what I have here!"

"C'mon Beast—" Raven caught herself, there were people around and she was almost certain that if they heard her calling him that they would be all too suspicious. "_Garfield_, we need to leave."

"Then hop on."

"No, if you aren't going to get in the car then we can both just drive ourselves."

"Fine." Beast Boy put his helmet on and his key in the ignition. Raven got into her seat and buckled herself up before starting up her car. Then they were off, being stubborn and refusing to work together they each took off in a different direction to their destination. Yet both of their minds were stuck on the same thoughts.

* * *

Raven arrived at the Tower first, and waiting inside her car for Beast Boy. She didn't want to go in yet, afraid of what her teammates would say about how she looked or how they would handle what her and Beast Boy had to tell them, she didn't want to have to go through it alone. A sound erupted from her purse disturbing her thoughts, a loud ringing noise. Curious, she pulled out a sleek black cell phone that she didn't know she had until then and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hey, did you know we had cell phones?" A familiar voice asked on the other end, it was Beast Boy.

"Not until now."

"Oh okay, well hey."

"Is that all you called for?"

"No, I wanted to tell you that I'm here." Raven looked out her side window to see the boy sitting on his moped waving at her. She got out of the car and walked over to him. "Ready?" Raven nodded and the two walked up to the front door. "So, um, do you wanna ring?" The girl pressed the doorbell and waited for a response. After a few seconds the large door opened and in front of them stood a crimson haired alien with orange skin. "Starfire!" Beast Boy shouted, as if he hadn't seen her in years, throwing his arms around her.

"Friend, um, hello! What is your name?"

"It's me Beast Boy! Well, I know it doesn't look like me but—"

"Beast Boy?" The girl repeated a look of confusion on her face.

"Um, yeah."

"I do not know of any Beast Boy."

"Starfire, it's us! You know…Raven and Beast Boy." He stated, his smile faltering. Raven stood beside him watching the scene unfold, slowly understanding what was going on.

"No, I do not…I am sorry."

"We're Titans! We live here with you…and, and Cyborg and Robin! We went to the Carnival yesterday because it was so hot out and you said that you wanted to go!" Beast Boy rambled on trying to strike a cord with Starfire, but she only shook her head sadly.

"No. But if you would like, I could get friends Cyborg and Robin." The girl shut the door on the pair and went to get the others. Beast Boy stared at the door stunned, Raven eyed him with concern. She was just as shocked, but she had a feeling that he was far more so then she was. Before she could say anything the door reopened and both Cyborg and Robin stood in front of him, Starfire peeking their backs.

"Can we help you with something?" Cyborg questioned putting on the face he saved for strangers.

"Cy it's me BB!"

"Who?" Raven couldn't help but hate seeing such a look of rejection on Beast Boy's face. Cyborg was his best friend, and even he didn't recognize him.

"Stop playing games! It's us, we're Titans!" He shouted, growing frustrated with them. Robin looked at her skeptically.

"No, I don't think so. Sorry guys."

"Beast Boy, they don't remember us." Raven whispered. She was hurt at this discovery, but she knew it was the truth. There was no way they were joking; their expressions were too serious. Raven tried to coax the Beast Boy into leaving, but he refused to move.

"But! No, my room is in there, I fell asleep there and it was messy and everything! There is tofu in that fridge! I swear!" His green eyes were full of anxiety, his friends, his_ family_ didn't know who he was. It was as if he never existed. "Raven! Tell them!" Afraid of making a spectacle, or Robin calling the police to have them escorted to the insane asylum, Raven grabbed his upper arm and dragged him to her car.

"We have to go, we'll figure this out when we get home."

"No! This is home! We LIVE in the Tower!"

"Beast Boy! Get in." With all her strength, the girl managed to get him in the passenger seat of her car, there was no way he would be fit to get himself back to the apartment. She dragged his moped to the back of her car and lifted it in. Raven got into her seat and caught her breath. Tears were welling up in her blue eyes but she refused to let them spill, glancing over at Beast Boy she could see he was trying to do the same. Calming down, she started her car again and speed off in the direction of Jump City. "I'm sorry Beast Boy." Raven whispered sadly, her voice barely audible. The boy sat in an unusual silence staring out the window, watching the buildings fly by until they all meshed together in one gray blur. "We'll fix this." The girl wasn't used to consoling others, nor was she confident in her attempts being that she was in the same predicament not knowing what to do or how this mess came about. But for the sake of keeping both Beast Boy and herself sane, she had to try her best.

"Why don't they remember us?" He asked, his voice full of the innocence of a lost child. Raven winced at the sincerity of his tone, not wanting to cause him any more pain with her response. She sighed, choosing her words carefully.

"I promise we'll figure this out Beast Boy. We just need to investigate." As it did the first time, the ringing from her cell phone interrupted her. She found it in the cup holder and flipped it open confused, if Beast Boy was sitting next to her, who was calling? "Hello?"

"Hello _Miss Raven_."

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Well…that's the end of Chapter 2! So…who's calling? And why doesn't anyone remember them? Ah! Haha, I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! I just had to give BB his moped ;)! I am so excited about this fic and have so many ideas! Chapter 3 should be up soon…but you know me that could mean either a day or a week I'm terrible with time! Anyways please review they are greatly appreciated!

XOXO,

Meg

Thanks to all my reviewers...I would have posted you guys but I think the second chapter was pulled from my story for that :(! But I will be PMing you all as I have been and dedicating chapters to each of you as well! 3


	3. Life's Little Lessons

Yay, I'm back with another chapter very quick this time! I love this fic! Thanks for the reviews! Now, here we go! This chapter is dedicated to the lovely ahilty!  
XOXO,  
Meg

Disclaimer: DC owns Teen Titans, not I!

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_**Marriage is an adventure, like going to war.**_

_**--G. K. Chesterton**_

**Chapter 3: Life's Little Lessons**

Raven's heart rose up into her throat at the sound of the heavily accented voice coming through her cell phone. She knew very well who was calling her. "Today is a _very_ different day dear is it not?"

"Who is this?" The girl asked just to make sure she was correct in her guess.

"Oh I think you know who it is child. Madame Laveau, your Carnival fortune teller…does that ring any bells?" Raven's blue eyes went wide as she slammed down on the brakes, nearly causing an accident. Beast Boy was jostled in the passenger seat beside her.

"What are you doing?" He asked breaking his silence.

"Oh lovely girl how is _life_?" Madame Laveau's voice was as sweet as honey and equally thick, shrouded in feigned kindness.

"I'm sure you know how _life_ is." Raven spat angrily into the phone.

"Now you believe don't you?"

"You did this didn't you?"

"For your own good Miss Raven, and your _husbands_ as well…that green boy." The woman chuckled softly, her laughter ringing on Raven's last nerve.

"Well he _isn't_ green anymore! And neither of us have our powers or our lives for that matter! Our friends don't even remember us!" She shouted, her voice quivering on the last sentence.

"Who's on the phone?" Beast Boy finally questioned. He turned in his seat to see cars lined up behind there's, and people honking their horns violently.

"GET MOVING!" A rather surly looking man shouted, shaking his fist vigorously. Beast Boy turned back around quickly, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Rae, people are starting to get pissed over this little traffic backup you're causing." Raven finally noticed the honking and obscenities and slammed on the gas. Beast Boy was rocketed back into his seat and holding onto the armrest for dear life.

"And you said I was the bad driver."

"Now isn't the time Beast Boy." Raven warned darkly.

"Who's on the phone?" Beast Boy repeated.

"It's the gypsy."

"What? Miss Cleo?" Raven took time out of watching the road to glare at the boy.

"_That's_ the comment that got us in this mess!"

"What?"

"She did this to us."

Beast Boy's eyes were shaded with anger, something Raven rarely saw. "Put her on speaker…" The girl complied with his wish and pressed the speaker button. "What, _lady_, do you think it is that you're trying to do?" He asked through gritted teeth, eerily calm. There was a long pause and for a moment both thought that the woman had hung up, but Madame Laveau began to speak just as Raven was going to end the call.

"Teaching both of you a lesson." She stated simply.

"This is pretty extreme for a lesson don't you think?" The boy shrieked, his hands shaking with rage.

"Fate child is not something to be taken lightly and both of you were destroying your life paths considerably with your choices to feud."

"But aren't you meddling by doing this to us?" He said trying to trap the woman in her words.

"Today is no longer a day of questioning. Your anger is upsetting me greatly. I'll contact the both of you when your tempers have subsided. Give it a few months or so, I'm sure you will cool down in time."

"_Months_!" The two shouted together.

"Yes, but I'm quite confident that it will take much longer then that…indeed. Well, until then, farewell." The line went dead and the pair stared at the cell phone in disbelief. Raven finally shut it and threw it back into the cup holder.

"How, how can she do this?" Beast Boy whispered, still in disbelief. The girl shook her head, speechless, as she pulled into a parking spot near their apartment. Raven unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face the boy who was staring down at his knees.

"All we can do for now is live these lives to the best of our ability. If we can manage that then maybe we'll wake up back in the Tower." She stated logically. This was the best idea she could come up with and the most reasonable. After all, there was no way of finding the gypsy; the Carnival had left that morning and with no powers to track her down it would be impossible. The police wouldn't be able to help; their story would be laughed at. For now, they would only be able to rely on each other.

"What about the team?"

"I don't know." The rain began to fall harder, pelting the windshield, never ceasing. "Let's go inside before it gets any worse." Raven muttered noting the rain, yet implying their current condition. The two exited the car and ran for protection under the awning that covered the Chinese restaurant their apartment sat above. The girl was heading for the steel gray door that led up to their apartment when she heard Beast Boy gasp in disgust. "What?"

"Oh my God!" Raven turned to see him concentrating on the window of the restaurant. The girl sighed heavily apparently things _could_ get worse. Beyond the window were what appeared to be skinned rabbits hanging upside down and cooked to a dark, crisp brown.

"Oh…"

"Rae, _this_ is what we live above!" He growled, kicking the brick building. For the second time that day, Raven had to drag Beast Boy by the arm away from another scene he was likely to cause. She managed to unlock the large steel door with one hand and drag him up the old wooden stairs to the floor on which their apartment lay. Finally, after four flights of stairs, they stood in front of their door Beast Boy somewhat calmer. Unlocking the door, both entered silently. The boy threw his keys on the kitchen counter and sat at one of the stools resting his head on the old, multicolored tiles. Raven placed her purse on the end table near the couch, noticing a silver phone and answering machine. The red light on the machine blinked indicating that it contained new messages.

"Someone called when we were out." She announced surprised, wondering who could have called.

"Probably that Voodoo woman. Making sure to cover all her bases…just incase, you know, ruining our lives wasn't bad enough she probably wanted a nice message for us to come home to so we could be reminded." He rolled his green eyes, venom in his tone.

"Sarcasm doesn't become you." Raven pressed the button and an automated voice informed her of two new messages.

"…Good morning Raven, it's me, Julia Polanski. Well I was calling to see if you are all right, it isn't like you to miss work with no notice. But don't worry about the class; fortunately there was an extra substitute on duty today that was able to fill in for you. Just if you could please give us a call when you get this message it would be very much appreciated. Again this isn't like you and we do hope nothing serious has happened. We'll be looking forward to your return to us. Have a nice day!" Before Raven could let the message sink in, the next one started up.

"…Dr. Logan, where are you son? You had three check-ups today! Now, I'll let this slide once…remember when I gave you the job you said you would pour your soul into this, no more slip ups! Be at the clinic tomorrow or else I'm afraid I'll have to replace you. Now, I like you a lot Gar, you're a natural at what you do, one of the best kids I've seen in years, people thought I was crazy hiring you so young and up until now you proved them wrong…but if can't show up to work then I don't know if I'll be able to trust you to do your job. So don't do it again!" With that the machine beeped loudly ending the messages. Beast Boy looked up from the table, his face paler then a ghost's.

"Doctor?" In a moment he jumped up from his seat and began searching around the room.

"What are you doing?" Raven watched as he ran up to a large picture frame hanging up on the wall near the computer.

"Oh man…I'm a freaking vet!"

"Really?" The girl walked over in complete disbelief, how could Beast Boy manage to get through veterinarian's school let alone graduate and actually be one, especially at such a young age. But the proof was right in front of her eyes, his diploma was the classic beige with black lettering and showed her everything she needed to know.

"Look and here's yours." Raven peered into the frame that hung right next to his. She had a double major in English and Education. Putting her cryptic message together with her diploma that could only mean one thing in regards to her career.

"I'm a teacher."

"…HAHAHAHA…!" Beast Boy burst into laughter, his eyes began to tear at the thought of Raven trying to control a classroom of kids.

"Are you finished yet?" The girl stared at him blankly with her arms crossed. He went on for a few more seconds until finally calming down.

"Yeah, now I am, but you gotta admit Rae, that's pretty funny."

"Hilarious."

"Dude, I can't believe I'm a vet…Doctor Logan!" Beast Boy said in amazement.

"Neither can I." Raven mused. "How are going to manage that?" The boy's stomach churning in nervousness, how was he going to pull off pretending to know what he was doing? He pushed these thoughts away, opting to worry about them when the time comes.

"I'll know what to do."

"Sure." Beast Boy glared at the girl's sarcastic comment but let it go and walked over to the couch to sit down.

"I wonder what grade you teach."

"Well, we'll soon find out." Raven picked up the phone, scanning the caller ID until coming to what appeared to be the name of the school she worked at, 'Glen View Academy.' With a moment's hesitation she pushed the 'talk' button and put the phone to her ear.

"Glen View Academy this is Rebecca."

"I'm calling for…" The name of the woman who called escaped her momentarily.

"Julia." Beast Boy helped.

"Um, Julia."

"Just a moment." Jazzy, saxophone music began to play as Raven waited to be transferred. She had no idea who Julia was, nor what she was going to say when the woman picked up the phone. The girl looked to Beast Boy for help but he wasn't paying attention, too busy leafing through one of the magazines he had found on the coffee table.

"Hello, this is Principal Julia Polanski." The woman on the other end of the phone said almost robotically.

"Hi, this is Raven."

"Raven! How are you? You gave us all quite a scare when you didn't show up this morning."

"I apologize for not calling, there was…an _emergency_." The girl said coming up with the lie on the spot.

"Oh dear, I hope everything is alright."

"Yes, I think I'll be able to manage." Raven glanced over at the boy on the couch; he was trying to rub the cologne samples on his shirt. _'I hope so.'_

"Very good, don't worry though Raven. Everything ran smoothly today…although, your students did miss you very much. Well, I'm assuming you will be back tomorrow if everything is alright now."

"Yes."

"Alright, then I will see you tomorrow morning. Give my regards to your husband."

"Will do." With that Raven hung up the phone and sat down next to Beast Boy. "What are you doing?"

"It smells good! Besides it's free!" He grinned.

"I can't believe I _married _you." The girl rolled her eyes and relaxed her head against the back of the couch.

"Feeling's mutual." Beast Boy replied nonchalantly tossing the magazine back onto the coffee table.

"Well, you should be glad that I'm not half as obnoxious as you are."

"Don't kid yourself Rae, you're pretty obnoxious."

"How?" She dared to ask, raising her head suddenly interested in what he had to say. He turned towards her and stared into her deep blue eyes. Up until then he didn't realize how, unlike himself, her transformation wasn't too drastic. It was almost a natural change. The boy had to admit, although he would never tell her, she was still very beautiful.

"You just are." Beast Boy said, somewhat caught off guard by the light in her eyes that he had never seen before. He stared at her for a moment longer then he should have and got up quickly. "I'm hungry." The boy walked into the kitchen and began rifling through cabinets and the refrigerator for something to eat. "Ugh, there's nothing to eat in here!" He whined when coming up with nothing.

"Then we should go to the grocery store." Raven offered logically, rising from the couch and grabbing her purse.

"It's almost 4:15, why don't we just get some dinner." Beast Boy offered. The girl knew the game he was playing all too well. He just didn't want to go to the store, and he knew she would end up going. But being that she was exhausted from the dramatic events of that day and not in the mood to walk around in the rain in search of a grocery store, she complied with going out to eat. After all, it would probably be easier for her to go by herself, without Beast Boy trying to bugging her and trying to buy useless things. Raven opened the closet door near the entertainment center and found a violet colored coat with gold buttons and put it on.

"Here." She handed Beast Boy a plain black jacket. "Let's go." Both made their way out the door and back down the wooden stairs. Beast Boy refused to look at the Chinese restaurant and opted to stare down at his shoes. "Where do you want to eat?"

"Anywhere but there." He gestured to the restaurant next to them.

"Well, there has to be some place close by." Raven pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and began to walk in no particular direction. Beast Boy tried to keep up with the girl, but she was instantly lost in the large crowds on the small sidewalk. He saw her purple head bouncing in stride with her brisk walk, but other than that she was lost to him. Keeping his green eyes focused on her, he watched as she searched for a place to eat. After four blocks of this, he saw her veer to the side of the crowds and stop in front of an old brick building. It had a large dusty pink sign with silver lettering in fancy script.

"Blossom Den?" Beast Boy read the sign allowed raising his eyebrows. "Never thought you'd choose such a girly place.

"It has tofu…and no upside down rabbits." Raven said as she pushed open the door and walked into the tiny restaurant. Inside, Beast Boy found that it wasn't as feminine as he assumed it would be. It had chrome ceilings and red tiled walls. Orange and yellow paper lanterns hanged from fishing line above the entire one-roomed restaurant. The tables and chairs were dark oak and carved with various animals and each table had a vase full of huge, blossoms.

'_Hence the name.'_ Beast Boy thought as they waited for someone to seat them.

"Two?" A petite Asian woman with a very kind face asked as she grabbed two menus from behind a counter. Raven nodded and both followed her to a table near the back. For 4:30 the restaurant was crowded.

"Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks." They said in unison sitting down at the small table. Beast Boy and Raven took up their menus and scanned what they had to eat. Their waiter came and the two placed their orders. With their menus gone, neither had a distraction from the excruciating silence. When they had gone out to dinner in the past, it was always with the team and since Raven never really contributed much to the conversations in the first place, it made it difficult for Beast Boy to strike up anything. Besides, he had no idea what he could say. The boy knew very little about his 'wife.'

* * *

It was almost 6:00 by the time they got back to their apartment and after two more hours of torturous silence, Raven got up from the couch and made her way over to the closet. She pulled out a pillow and blanket she had noticed while gathering the coats before and tossed them beside Beast Boy. "I'm going to sleep."

"Oh, do you want me to go into the bedroom?"

"No, _you're_ sleeping out here."

"_What?_ When was this decided?"

"Just now. Goodnight." Raven turned on her heel and was in the bedroom before Beast Boy could say another word. The boy looked to the pillow and blanket to his right and heaved a heavy sigh.

"But my pajamas are in there!" He yelled while turning off the television. Beast Boy heard the door open and smile. _'Aw, I knew she wouldn't be that unreasonable.'_ The boy thought smiling. Then he saw a pair of sweatpants and a shirt fly into the living room and knew he was wrong.

* * *

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this just as much as I did writing it! I wish I could thank all my reviewers on this page:( Aw well…I will be PMing you guys though and dedicating chapters! Anyways, I hope you guys liked the quote…I thought it went perfectly! And I hope you liked the chapter! So, what's work going to be like for them? And what grade _is_ Raven teaching…_gulp..._Reviews are greatly welcomed!

XOXO,  
Meg


	4. Ring, Ring, Ring!

Hello all! I hope everyone is as jazzed as I am about this chapter! It's really long and I hope you all like it! Sorry it's been a while for an update :( I know I was late, but better late then never! This chapter is dedicated to **artsigurl** and **TDG3RD **for being totally amazing! I love you all! Thanks so much for being great!

XOXO,  
Meg

P.S. A special thanks to SxStrngsamurai13 for reading this before I posted it and helping me with ideas:D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Teen Titans, DC does

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**Chapter 4: Ring, Ring, Ring!  
**

_"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility."_

_-Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy _

"Get up." A woman's voice roused Beast Boy from his peaceful slumber. His heavily lidded emerald eyes opened with confusion. It was pitch-black in the room and he could not see a thing until he got used to the darkness. Then he noticed the rather impatient looking girl looming over him.

"Rae, what are you doing in my room?" Beast Boy questioned thinking he was in the Tower.

"This isn't _your_ room. It's the den."

"What?"

"We're still stuck in that nightmare. You know, the one where I'm stuck married to you." Raven said sardonically, bitter over the situation.

"Oh yeah, right. Because being _your_ husband is a blessing and all." He pulled himself off the couch and turned on a lamp. "What time is it?" The young man asked ignoring the glare his wife was giving him.

"It's 7:00."

"When do I have to be to work?" Raven shrugged her shoulders and made her way into the kitchen where she left her mug of tea. Beast Boy noted her red sweater, black dress slacks, and black heels.

"What's with the fancy clothes?"

"I'm dressed for work."

"Yeah, but you're only a teacher." The young woman felt a sense of anger surge through her at this statement.

"It's one of the top schools in the country." She stated matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?'

"Unlike you, I actually did research on where I work."

"How?" Beast Boy asked yet another question. Raven rolled her now blue eyes in annoyance.

"I looked up the website."

"Oh…so did you find out what grade you teach?" At this, the young man saw Raven's face pale.

"No." She lied, not wanting to give Beast Boy the satisfaction of knowing and making fun of her.

"Dude! How am I gonna know where the vet's is?"

"Get the name of the office off the caller ID and check online." Raven offered. In all honesty, she felt bad for Beast Boy knowing all to well that working as a veterinarian was going to be no walk in the park. At least she had some idea as to what to be in store for.

"Good idea." Beast Boy picked up the phone and brought it over to the computer and began his search. "Man, it's only like four blocks away. Gotta be there by 9."

"I know." Raven washed her mug and put it in the dishwasher.

"Wait, how?"

"I already looked it up earlier."

"Why didn't you just tell me then? Hey! Why did you wake me up so early?" He complained moving from the computer chair back to the couch to lie down.

"One, because maybe you should learn how to do things on your own. And two, if I didn't wake you up you would have never made it to work."

"You, Rae, are impossible. Does it physically pain you to do something nice? I mean c'mon."

"Does it _physically pain_ you to say the last syllable of my name? And besides I did do something nice. Now you are one step closer to being more independent and you won't be late." Raven grabbed her black coat out of the closet and an umbrella just incase the weather was foul, as it had been for the past two days. "I will see you tonight." She said curtly, opening the apartment door and exiting into the hallway. Beast Boy stared after her, his eyes not leaving the door. He shook his shaggy blonde head and turned to face the back of the couch. The young man attempted to get more sleep but he couldn't.

"Thanks Rae." He whispered, frustrated over being woken up. Groaning loudly he finally opted to go take a shower and get ready. After he cleaned himself up, Beast Boy found nice button down shirts and a pair of grey slacks in the closet. Examining himself in the mirror he couldn't help but laugh. "I look like an adult." He grinned goofily as he adjusted his navy blue tie. He made his way into the kitchen in search of some breakfast. Finally after minutes of coming up with nothing, he found a packet of oatmeal in the back of a cabinet and ate in the dark. Light was slowly filtering through the curtained window over the sink. He sloshed the thick substance around with his spoon, lost in thought. He couldn't help but worry about the _curse_ that plagued both him and Raven. It had only been a day and he already could not stand her. The young woman's mannerisms drove him up the wall, he thought living in the Tower with her was bad enough but being in such close quarters made things worse. Living in the Tower, sometimes he used to go days without seeing her.

Beast Boy ran his fingers through his finely combed hair; it wasn't that he did not like Raven. That was not it at all, it was just the fact that he could not _understand_ her and that frustrated him. He knew every other Titan inside and out, including the elusive Robin. But he never actually got to know Raven. Maybe it was her cold exterior that was so difficult for him to get past. Or maybe it was the fact that, even though it appeared that he craved to crack her code and see what was inside, he really didn't. Looking back, Beast Boy realized all the pranks, the jokes, everything he did to get closer to her were all so forced. Even when he would do these things, deep down he knew that they would only push her away. Maybe that was what he had wanted; maybe he was afraid of what he would find if he actually took the time to look.

Beast Boy shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. It was no use thinking about the past. It was their current predicament that needed deciphering and at the moment he could not stand his _wife_ or their ridiculous, sham of a marriage. Eyeing the clock he saw that it was almost 8:30. The young man cleaned up his bowl and left the apartment for the clinic, dreading what was coming next.

* * *

Raven felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as a clip show of various movies, ranging from _Kindergarten Cop_ to _Children of the Corn_ slid slowly and painfully through her mind. Although she would never admit to this, those films were the first thoughts she had upon entering the classroom and seeing _her _group of bright-eyed miscreants. The children looked to be about five or six years old, each donning the school's prestigious uniform making it impossible for the young woman to tell them apart. They were all sitting as still as statues at their tables. The students were grouped at four separate tables, each filled with four students. Raven made her way from the doorway over to the center of the room with caution. As she walked passed one of the tables, she could have sworn she saw a mouse's gray head pop out of one small boy's blazer pocket, but she was not certain. "Oh, I'm sure you're loving this." The girl muttered under her breath, thinking of the gypsy that put her in this position.

"Why hello Mrs. Logan! I do hope you are feeling better!" A cheery grey-haired woman said, each word dripping in saccharine. Her wrinkled hands adjusted the top of her brown knee length skirt as she stood up to greet Raven. Obviously, she was the teacher filling in for her. "Let's give her the card we made! Neal?" The substitute smiled cheerfully at the boy that Raven had eyed before. Immediately, like a little soldier, the child sprang to his feet and ran across the room to the closet. After a few minutes of rifling around, he returned with a giant neon green poster board. It was splashed with even brighter paints and glitter. 'Get Better Mrs. Logan.' The words were spelled out with colorful markers that, upon getting too close to the card, Raven noticed smelled like rubbing alcohol.

"Do you like it Mrs. Logan?" The little boy asked, Raven was still very uncomfortable with the name they were calling her. But she bit her tongue and forced a small smile onto her lips.

"Yes…it's, um…nice. Thank you."

"Well I better get going, Mrs. Sampson's out with a bad cold!" The older woman said with an unusual perkiness considering the context of the sentence. "Goodbye Mrs. Logan. Goodbye children!"

"Goodbye Miss Lucy!" They cried in unison, their grubby hands waving in farewells. After the woman closed the door on the class, all thirty-two eyes of the sixteen students glued themselves back onto their teacher, who was currently standing in the center of the large, colorful room with an awkwardly over-sized card in her right hand. Raven cleared her throat and looked around at the students, _her_ students. She noticed the sheets of paper on their desks and the large boxes of crayons.

"Um…so, how about…" Raven's mind was blank, void of ideas; she had no lesson plan or any clue as to what she was supposed to be teaching five year olds. "Who would like to draw?" Only a few of the children's hands shot up. "Well those who would like to color, um go ahead." Looking more closely around the room she noticed a multicolored carpet in one corner with piles of books stacked around it, on the other side she saw a dark trunk stuffed with what appeared to be costumes for dress up, an 'art' table covered in hardened play-doh and paints, and various other activates for the kids to get themselves into. "Everyone else, go do what you would like…" The children stared at her for a minute or so before getting up from their chairs and scattering all around the room. Raven walked over to the large desk in front of the blackboard she assumed was hers and sat down. She closed her cerulean eyes, putting her head in her hands. She hadn't been in the classroom for more than ten minutes and she was already feeling the pressure. The young woman rarely spoke to people her own age, not being able to relate to them, how was she going to talk to kids?

"Mrs. Logan I need to go potty!" Raven opened her eyes to see a rather chubby boy in front of her desk. He was jumping around strangely.

"Go then."

"But there's someone in there! I can't and I need to!" He complained as he continued to bop up and down. The dark haired woman got up from her seat and took the child by the hand. Urgently she looked around the room, in the back she saw the bathroom. Raven tried the doorknob but it was locked.

"Kelly's in here now!" A little girl shouted from the other side of the door.

"I gotta go!" The little boy whined as he wiggled around.

"Okay hold on!" Raven looked around the room; she could not leave her class alone.

"Mrs. Logan?"

"What?" She questioned somewhat annoyed.

"Look at my coloring, I'm a princess!" Another child, a red-haired girl, smiled proudly showing off her drawing.

"That's nice." Raven said absentmindedly as she continued to think as a way to help the little boy before it was too late.

"Eww Kyle!" It was too late. Reluctantly, the young woman looked down at the boy, she saw a dark wet mark forming on the front of his pants. Kyle began to cry and his cheeks grew a bright pink as the girl continued to laugh at him.

"Stop it Melody!" He hollered sadly as the stain continued to grow. Just then, Raven heard the Kelly flush the toilet and out came a small brown haired girl with big ears.

"All done!" She smiled merrily as she skipped over to the reading corner. Kyle ran into the bathroom, Raven right behind him.

"I need new pants!" Kyle's eyes were red and puffy from crying and his pants were now soaked through.

"Um…here…" Raven got down to the boy's level and tore off mass amounts of toilet paper and handed it to him. "Just try dabbing at it." She said monotonously. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a group of children forming outside the open door, they were peering in and laughing.

"Kyle peed his pants! Kyle peed his pants!" They chanted in unison pointing at the now traumatized boy.

"Stop!" The young woman said lamely trying to prevent the kids from making fun of the little boy, but they persisted. Amidst their jeering Kyle began to cry even louder as he dabbed fruitlessly at his wet pants. "Please! Just stop!" Raven shouted, rising from her squatting position. She vacated the bathroom ushering the children out of the way and closed the door on Kyle. "That is not very nice." Raven chastised mimicking older women she had seen do the same to their children on the streets.

"Sorry Mrs. Logan."

"Apologize to…_Kyle_ when he comes out." She stated remembering the child's name quickly. The children fled and left their teacher alone. Raven felt strange. She had no way of relating to her students and she felt like a hardened old woman when she reprimanded them. She even had a difficult time helping the poor kid that wet his pants; everything she said came off as cold or disheartening. Raven ruminated the situation; now that she was free to be emotional all of this was hitting her tenfold. A mixture of guilt, frustration, and anger came crashing down on her. Never before had she felt so bad, so sympathetic. Never before was she allowed to. Raven's thoughts were halted when she felt something tugging at her pant leg. "Yes?" She asked turning to see the blonde haired boy that had given her the card smiling up at her, Neal.

"Hi." He whispered, smiling innocently. _'Too innocent.'_ Raven thought suspiciously.

"Hello."

"Here Mrs. Logan." Neal had his hands outstretched towards his teacher, hiding something from her in his palm. "It's a surprise."

"Open your hands." She stated, her monotone voice never faltering. The toe-headed boy stood obstinate in her request, pushing his hands out further.

"No, close your eyes! It's a surprise!" He squealed at decibels so high Raven could barely understand what he was saying. Tears were forming in his blue eyes and his face was turning red. With a heavy sigh, she knew that the boy's tantrum would be a far more difficult thing to fix. She did not want to deal with another crying child, so Raven complied closing her eyes and holding out her hands. Immediately, something small and furry fell into her pale palms and began to scamper around like mad. Opening her eyes wide, the young woman realized that her imagination was not acting up before. A small gray mouse was crawling on her hands and burrowing its way up the sleeve of her long crimson sweater.

"Ahh!" Raven let out a small scream; the critter dug its claws into her skin, scampering up her arm. Looking down, she saw Neal laughing and grinning deviously.

"His name is Sunny! He likes you!" The young teacher shook her arm, swiping at the mouse but the little rodent refused to let go.

"Get off!" Anxiety enveloped Raven, as she could not get Sunny to relinquish his hold. Finally, the mouse fell off her arm and to the ground. Neal quickly scooped him up and smiled lovingly at Raven. The young woman pulled back her sleeve to reveal painful, bloody gashes. "I'm going to need shots." She murmured. Glancing over at the clock on the wall Raven noted that it was_ only_ 9:04. The day was just inching by. _'I bet Beast Boy's at home in the vet's office.'_

* * *

"Ah, Dr. Logan. Glad to see you gracing us with your presence." Beast Boy saw an older man with the nametag 'Dr. Griffin' round the corner and his name did not deny his features. He had a birdlike nose and feathery, pepper gray hair. His smile was one that could be taken as sinister or sincere and his face was showing signs of wrinkles. Dr. Griffin appeared to be nearing his early 70s yet his prominent stance, one that Beast Boy picked up in the first five seconds of seeing him, was as domineering of a man half his age. The young _Dr. Logan _smiled sheepishly and held out his hand for the older man to shake. But, rather, he walked right passed him and over to the receptionists table. "Let's see Dr. Logan. You have a routine check-up for the Jansen's toy poodle, at 9:30. Muffy needs tranquilizers for a trip, Ms. Lee's tabby. Get that done sometime before 10:45, she'll be here to pick them up at 11 o'clock. And the rest of the day you've got a cavalcade of bird's that need their wings clipped and to be checked for diseases…bird convention in town." The man informed Beast Boy in his gruff, Brooklyn-like accent. Dr. Griffin handed him a clipboard and pen. "Best get scrubbed up chief."

"Oh…um 'kay." Beast Boy barely managed to say, still in shock over the man's oddly scheduled and precise behavior. The young man found his way to the back of the sterile, white walled clinic and, reading the proper procedure poster that hanged over the sink, washed his hands clean. Eyeing the area, he noticed a rack of white doctors coats, like the one Dr. Griffin had on, and, sure enough, found one with his nametag on it. He put it on, feeling oddly professional and walked out of the backroom into the front where the receptionist sat, as well as many pets and animals. He felt a strange calmness being around these animals, Beast Boy yearned for the chance to change into one, to be like them. He missed flying with the birds, or running as fast as a dog, being as sneaky as a cat. Now with his powers gone, he could only watch. This feeling was interrupted when he heard the receptionist's squeaky voice crack over the soothing sounds of the barking, growling, or hissing of the animals.

"Blackjack's up, Dr. Logan will see him now." She said in a bored tone. The young man watched as an older woman and, what appeared to be, her teenage daughter stood up. The younger of the two was carrying a small black poodle, complete with curls and a white tuft of hair on his chest. Both women had red hair, as equally as curly as their dog's, and freckled skin.

"Good morning. Just…um, follow me back here…" Beast Boy smiled in a way he thought was reassuring, and walked the two and their dog awkwardly back towards an empty doctor's room. Inside, he saw cabinets filled with various medicines and antiseptics, a sink, computer, and a table in the middle. "Put Blackjack up here please." He muttered, looking over the chart he found on his clipboard. He did not notice the teenage girl glaring at him.

"How _old_ are you?"

"Um, 24." He said, trying to remember his age.

"Mom! We're trusting a _kid_ with Blackjack?" The girl said contemptuously as she placed the small, shaking dog on the table.

"Rosie! Let the man do his job!"

"It's just a checkup. All he needs is a rabies shot, and…um the usual…" He trailed off reading the chart, it read like a dictionary. Dull, and with words he had never seen before. Beast Boy swallowed hard. He had to check the dog's temperature. The young man unfortunately knew what that meant and nervously prepared for what he had to do. Slowly, he made his way to the cabinets to find a sterile thermometer. Almost regretfully, he found one and turned back to the cowering dog on the table. "Sorry boy, this'll only be a second." With a shaking hand, the young doctor lifted the poodle's tiny tail uncomfortably and closed his emerald eyes.

"Oh my God! Keep your eyes open _Doctor_." Rosie shouted rudely.

"Sorry." Beast Boy reopened his eyes, but focused on the heartworm poster on the wall in front of him, he heard the dog whimper and hated himself for subjecting the poor animal to this. He felt for the animal and as soon as he could, relieved the dog from his pain. "Temp's normal." He croaked, still shaken over having to take the dog's temperature. "Let's move onto the shots." He opened the cabinets yet again and searched for what he needed. Beast Boy might as well have been reading a foreign language because he had no idea as to what he was looking for and nothing made sense. After what seemed like an eternity of feigning some sort of knowledge to what he was doing, Beast Boy turned around to see Rosie tapping her foot impatiently and her mother, Mrs. Jansen, wringing her hands disapprovingly next to her daughter. Never before this moment had the young man felt so unprepared and inadequate. "Let me go get a nurse. We seem to…um, be missing the stuff." He ran out into the hall and found a tall brown haired woman in scrubs. "Oh Ms. Connery! Could you please help me?" Beast Boy asked, eyeing her nametag.

"Oh sure thing Garfield. And the name's Annie, remember that!" The woman had white streaks running through her hair, wrinkled hands, and beady, but endearing, black eyes. "So, what's the problem?"

"Well, I need to give this dog his shots."

"You should know how to do that, you're the doctor!" The woman shook her head as she walked into the room where the mother, daughter, and dog were all waiting.

"I know, just nervous." Beast Boy murmured lamely, watching Annie closely as she prepped the dog and then took out the medication and syringe to carefully prick Blackjack.

"All done." She smiled warmly at the two and gave the dog a treat. "The flea-medication and his new rabies tags will be up with Jennifer. Goodbye Mrs. Jansen!" The two redhead's left with the poodle in smiles. "They need you to do an X-Ray for the Planter's cat Margot. They think she has a broken leg. She's in back, a Siamese." Annie left the room, leaving Beast Boy alone to figure out how to run the X-Ray machine. He thanked his lucky stars for the fact that their was the medical wing in the Tower, so at least he had _seen_ an X-Ray machine before, but he had never used it, that was always Cyborg's job. Slowly, Beast Boy trudged to the back room where he found his coat, and saw the stainless steel cages where a few animals rested. He saw the cage labeled 'Margot Planter' and opened it to find a lovely Siamese with blue eyes staring at him innocently.

"Come here Margot." He said trying to coax the cat out from the back of the cage. The animal just glared, threateningly hissing in his direction. "Please!" Beast Boy gave Margot the biggest, most innocent eyes he could and used a singsong voice but nothing would get her to budge. "Fine. Will do this your way." With no other ideas he reached into the back of the cage and caught her in his hands. "Man, you're feisty for a cat with a broken leg." The cat faced him with her eyes on fire. She took a swipe at his cheek but only came close. "Calm down!" Margot began to twist and turn in an attempt to get away from the young man. He walked difficultly with her in his arms towards what he thought was the X-Ray machine. It was very different from the one at the Tower. First off, it looked to be a bit older and secondly this one was smaller, clearly not made for people. _'Perfect.'_ Beast Boy thought bitterly as he placed Margot on the strange apparatus.

"RAHMEOOOW!" Margot moaned her eyes set on the young doctor. They were fixed with pure hatred.

"This'll be only a minute." Beast Boy fiddled with the machine, turning various knobs, examining the computer in an attempt to clear his confusion and relieve himself of this awful frustration. The cat continued to moan and swipe at him ferociously. "C'mon, it'll be two seconds." He stated as calmly as possible, trying to relieve himself more so than the cat.

"Talking to the animals again Dr. Logan?" Beast Boy whipped around from his fruitless attempts of turning the machine on to see Dr. Griffin examining him, a gray caterpillar-like eyebrow raised.

"Um…" He could feel himself turning very red.

"Just get the job done…whatever your methods are. Carry on." Dr. Griffin strode off in the direction of the waiting room and Beast Boy breathed a sigh of relief. The older doctor made him very nervous and was terribly intimidating. After allowing himself a second to relax, the young man turned all of his attention back to trying to work the X-Ray machine and the very obnoxious, mewing cat.

"Garfield!" Beast Boy closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to disappear. _'What now?'_ "What are you doing messing with that machine?" Annie asked as she passed by.

"Trying to turn it on."

"Flip the switch." Beast Boy looked on the side, and sure enough there was a switch. A green light turned on and Annie helped, working the machine and Beast Boy was forced to hold down the cat. Once the procedure was over and the X-Ray was processing the pictures, Annie took the cat off the machine, which did nothing but purr nicely for the older woman. "Seriously Garfield," She began, turning towards Beast Boy with an odd look on her face. "What's with you today?"

"Um…not really been myself lately."

"Well you better snap out of it! Dr. Griffin has been keeping his eye on you lately."

"Will do." Beast Boy gulped nervously. Annie patted him on the back reassuringly.

"Good thing his son likes ya!"

"Son?"

"Ah, Garfield! Young Griffin, Dr. Jason, both of you are so close, best friends!"

"Oh yeah…" The young man just agreed with the woman, still utterly confused over who this _Jason_ was.

"Are you suffering from amnesia? First you can't remember something as easy as how to give a shot, then how to turn on the X-Ray and use the machine and now you can't even remember your friend's names. You've lost it Garfield!" The old woman laughed as she walked back into the hallway leaving Beast Boy alone in. He was absolutely confused and miserable. Being thrust into a world where he knew nothing and no one was far worse than he thought it would be. If this was any inclination as to how the rest of his day would be, Beast Boy was surely doomed.

The clock struck four-thirty and the young man's day was finally over. With a grateful sigh, he nearly sprinted out the front door. Beast Boy had opted to walk to work being that it was only four blocks away and parking was awful. All he wanted was to just get back to the apartment and was almost home free when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he saw a tall, dark haired man with a handsome face, save for his large nose. With such a protruding feature Beast Boy had an idea as to whom this man was, he had to be Jason, Dr. Griffin's son. "Hey Gar! How's are you?"

"Oh. Um, good."

"Yeah? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Things have been crazy."

"I here you. Been in surgery all day myself. Had to amputate a dog's leg. Poor guy." Jason's eyes were heavy and looked genuinely pained by what he was saying. "So how's Raven, I haven't seen her since the Fourth of July barbeque." He asked changing the subject.

"She's…good." Beast Boy said, lying through his teeth.

"That's good. Well, I have to get going. I'll call you sometime."

"Sure, Cya tomorrow." The two parted ways. The young man crossed the street and continued his walk home, in a melancholy state unbefitting of him.

* * *

The apartment was quiet as Beast Boy entered the living room. He thought Raven would have been home by then, being that school usually got out at 3:00 or so. "Raven, are you here?" He walked down the hall and towards the bedroom, knocking on the door lightly. "Are you in there?" Beast Boy pushed the door open to see his wife sprawled out on the bed, her work clothes still on. He could not help but smile, Raven looked very peaceful asleep. Inching closer to the bed he went to cover her with a blanket when he stopped. The sleeve of her sweater was pushed up on one arm, Beast Boy saw red bites and scratch marks that were turning an unhealthy purple. They contrasted greatly with her pale skin. He loosened his tie and sat down near her arm carefully examining it. Automatically, Raven opened her blue eyes at the unfamiliar weight that was added to the bed she was laying on.

"What are you doing?" She asked still drowsy. Beast Boy noticed that her eyes were red, possibly from tears.

"Nothing. How was your day?" Raven sat up and leaned against the headboard, putting her knees up to her chest. She looked across the room distantly, trying not to get upset.

"Fine." Her voice struggled with the simple word and Beast Boy knew that 'fine' was far from the truth.

"I hate my job." He whispered. "I have no clue what I'm doing. All the animals hate me and I can't do anything right." The young man laughed weakly. Raven turned to face him, full of sympathy.

"If it makes you feel any better, my job's probably worse."

"Yeah? I doubt it."

"A kid wet his pants on my watch." Beast Boy's frown slowly turned to a large grin and he laughed until he had tears in his eyes. Raven felt her lips twitch into a small smile, but hid it in her hands. "It's not funny." She stated stoically.

"Sorry." He said still smiling. "Well, at least we don't have any kids, unless that gypsy has something up her sleeve." After realizing what he had just said, Beast Boy felt himself blush. For once, it was Raven's turn to fill the awkward silence.

"You should study."

"What?"

"You probably have old textbooks you can look at to get an idea on how to be a veterinarian." Beast Boy's grin grew.

"Dude! Great idea! Thanks Rae!" He jumped off the bed and was out the door before Raven could correct him on her name. The young woman rolled her eyes and sunk lower onto the bed. She turned on her side and looked out the window. Raven played with the tassel on the pillow tiredly as her mind ran with conflicting thoughts. Everything was different in this peculiar world she was currently trapped in. It all felt as if it were a dream, something she was stuck in and all she wanted to do was wake up. Raven brought her hands to her face in annoyance. Something caught her eye. Removing them slowly she noticed a silver band on her left ring finger, _the_ silver band! The one the gypsy had given her! The young woman had completely forgotten about the ring. Just as Beast Boy had, Raven jumped out of the bed and ran down the hall into the living room. "What's wrong?" He asked concerned by her sudden change in behavior.

"The rings!" She shouted holding out her hand in front of his face. "The gypsy gave us these. Remember?"

"I forgot about them." Beast Boy muttered looking down at his own hand. Sure enough there it sat shining. He tried to take it of but it would not budge. "It won't come off!" Raven tried to do the same, but like his, hers remained firmly on her finger.

"This is it. I am almost certain, these are what's keeping us married." The young woman stared down at her ring and then into Beast Boy's emerald eyes. They shone with the same hope as Raven's, there _was_ a way out of this storm, the undertow both of them were drowning in.

* * *

Well…I hope all of you liked this! It was super-duper long! So, how 'bout those nasty bites on Raven's arm and Beast Boy's complete inability to do anything right at his job? Oh yes, and those _rings_! Well, it was pretty obvious…but it's all good! Hehe, there will be more of them at their jobs! Raven as a kindergarten teacher is too fun to pass up on writing about:D Anyway, please review! Have a terrific Earth Day!

XOXO,  
Meg


	5. Fire and Ice

I'm back early this time! Yay! Thanks for the lovely reviews guys! It means a lot to me that you take the time to review! Anyways, was on the fritz (what else is new) and I am sorry that it took me a while to respond to the reviews I received. Ah well, I know you guys don't read my story to hear me ramble on so I'll cut to the chase, I love all of you and here's the next chapter!

This chapter is dedicated to **Lilac-Roth**! Thanks for being awesome!

Thanks to **SxStrngSamurai13** for helping me, like always!

XOXO,  
Meg

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans! The fabulous DC does!

* * *

_Some say the world will end in fire;  
Some say in ice.  
From what I've tasted of desire  I hold with those who favor fire.  
But if it had to perish twice,  
I think I know enough of hate  
To know that for destruction ice  
Is also great  
And would suffice._

_-Robert Frost_

**Chapter 5: Fire and Ice**

Beast Boy breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the clock struck 4:30. It was Friday, he did not have to work Saturday and all the young man wanted to do was retreat to his couch and bury his head underneath the pillows. This past week was one of the hardest of his life. Beast Boy knew nothing about being a veterinarian and after spending every night for the past three days up studying until morning he still had no clue as to what he was doing. Thankfully Annie had been by his side all week helping him otherwise he surely would have never made it out alive. Beast Boy hung his white lab coat up on the hook and was, like always, the first out the door. He had the weekend ahead of him, and was going to spend his time sleeping. Nothing was going to stop him.

"We have stuff to do." Raven stated in her monotone voice as she stared down at the lump on the couch.

"Like what?" The lump mumbled closing his eyes tighter.

"It's been days and we still haven't done any research on the rings or this _curse_ you got us into." Maybe it was her tone, or maybe it was the fact that Raven would not stop blaming this mess on him. Whatever it was made Beast Boy far more irritated then he had been in days.

"Ugh! No way, I just got home like an hour ago! I wanna sleep!" Whined the young man as he snuggled deeper into the couch. Raven rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder in an attempt to get him up. Beast Boy's head popped up from underneath the pillows, his blonde hair sticking out in every direction and his green eyes fixed in a glare. "I have not slept in days thanks to the damn couch you are forcing me to sleep on and the fact that I've been up every night studying! Do you know how hard it is to be a vet?" He yelled, his fuse growing shorter by the second. Raven was somewhat shocked by his outburst but her expression did not show this.

"You aren't the only one who hasn't gotten any sleep."

Before he could stop himself, Beast Boy said something he knew he would regret. "Dude! You're _just_ a teacher! That's nothing!" The young woman's blue eyes widened, now she was angry.

"_Just a teache_r. Yes, because kids are easy to look after. All I do is sit at my desk because they are all so well behaved that I don't have to lift a finger. When one of them gets a bloody nose they know how to clean it up themselves, or when they learn a dirty word it isn't my responsibility to explain to their parents where they heard it. You are _so_ right!" Raven exploded, not holding back her emotions. Beast Boy was stunned by her freeness but he was too caught up in the argument to let go.

"I have to neuter dogs! I have to go into work to a boss that I know will fire me any day now and then get yelled at by people that think I can't take care of their pets!" There was a silence before Raven spoke up.

"You know, why would I even want _your_ help, you'd probably just ruin this." She dug at him, refusing to give in. "I'm going, do whatever you want." The young woman marched over to the closet and got her coat.

"Wait, where are you going?" Beast Boy asked a hint of curiosity in his voice. He was still mad, but wanted to know what his wife was up to.

"Out." With that, she was out the door, leaving the young man confused.

* * *

The sun was setting as Raven exited the building, and the air was thick with the smells of various foods. Looking at her watch she quickened her pace down the sidewalk. The young woman pushed her sleeve up and scratched at the bites on her arms, looking down she noticed that they were red and puffy. A sickly white puss oozed from one of them, followed by a purplish crimson blood. Raven immediately pushed her sleeve down, feeling dizzy and tried to concentrate on something else. 

The store she discovered online a few nights ago was closer to the apartment then she thought it was but it was still farther than she had hoped. As she walked past the tiny shops and romantic restaurants Raven could not help but feel her stomach tighten. They all looked so happy, something she wanted to be. Everything was wrong. Her life was not supposed to be like this. She came home crying after work everyday for the past week and her constant feuding with Beast Boy was getting to her. Raven promised herself long ago that if she were ever to be married, she would be happy. But now that she was, albeit her marriage was not her decision, the young woman was more miserable than she had been in a while.

Raven tore her eyes away from the restaurants, opting to look straight ahead. She clutched her purse tighter and proceeded to walk down another couple blocks until she found herself standing in front of a rather dull flower shop. "It's the right address. 'Doolittle Flower's.' Clever." Raven mused as she read the name of the small store. Although it was not what she was looking for the young woman made her way inside. Looking around she noticed that the tiny single room shop was packed with flowers and plants of every kind, there were many she recognized and many she did not. Blossoms of pinks, reds, yellows, and blues emitted lovely scents from every direction and vines wrapped around the piping above her head. At the back of the store, Raven noticed an older man with grey hair and dark skin sitting on a stool behind a counter, a fan buzzed next to him and a radio on the counter played the low sounds of blues music. "Um, excuse me." The man looked around, his eyes clouded over. He was blind.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice deep somewhat soothing.

"Is this only a flower shop?" The old man's lips turned upwards into a sly grin as if he were keeping a secret.

"One will only find what they are looking for if they ask the correct questions." Raven raised an eyebrow but decided to play along.

"Um, okay. Is this another sort of shop, a _voodoo_ shop perhaps?"

"What do you know of voodoo, girly?"

"I know that I have a curse on me and I need to figure out how to get rid of it."

"And who put this curse upon your head?"

"A gypsy, Madame Laveau." The man shot up out of his seat and pointed a finger in Raven's direction.

"The Queen is far from any gypsy missy! The most powerful!" The young woman sighed, she was quite surprised that the old man knew of whom she was speaking of and was quick to not make him angry with her. Hopefully he could help her.

"Sorry, um…do you know anything more about her? Maybe a way for me to contact her?" The old man laughed heartily and moved out from behind the counter, cane in hand.

"Madame Laveau cannot be contacted by any soul, she comes to you when she so desires." Raven's head dropped crestfallen. "Follow me." Startled by his request, the young woman did as she was told and followed the old man into the back of the store, an animal that appeared to be more wolf than dog lifted it's head and let out a guttural growl in her direction but the man was quick to tap him with his cane. "Hush up." He muttered under his breath. "What is your name child?"

"Raven."

"Like the poem."

"You've read it?" The old man stopped and smiled whimsically.

"Only heard it." He said pointing to his eyes. "You may possess the name of the bird but, even without my sight, I am convinced you possess the beauty of Lenore." Raven blushed lightly.

"Thank you." The old man grinned.

"Will, that's my name." He stated nonchalantly as the pair continued down the narrow hall towards a rather unimposing door. Will pulled an old skeleton key out of his pocket and felt around for the keyhole. Upon finding it he inserted the rusted key and slowly unlocked the door. "Follow me." Raven walked down the long staircase behind the man, idly scratching her arm. When her feet finally touched the last step she was greeted with an interesting sight. Only candles lighted the room and there were numerous shelves filled with various dusty tomes each one crusted over by age, and old jars filled with various contents. Will walked over to one of the dark wooden tables and sat down gesturing for Raven to do the same. "What would you like to know?"

"How do I get out of this curse?"

"First, _Lenore_ you should know more about the Queen herself." Will informed her as he scratched at his chin. "Her full name is Madame Remy Laveau, she was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1808."

"_1808?"_ Will nodded at Raven's disbelief.

"Her own mother was a voodoo queen as well and cast a spell of immortality on her only child and in doing so she ended up bringing about her own demise. Madame Laveau grew to womanhood but stopped just shy of her fortieth year just as she was destined to. She travels the country, usually displaying powers far beneath her level, working in carnivals. Madame Laveau, is the strongest Queen of them all. You should be so lucky to have come in contact with such a remarkable woman."

"Oh yes, so lucky." Raven muttered. "Her curse turned my world upside down."

"What is the nature of this curse?"

"Well, she removed me from my life completely and forced me into a marriage to someone I cannot stand."

"Well, Madame Laveau loves playing games. She's quite devious." Will explained. "She put the rings upon your fingers didn't she?"

"Yes!" Raven said surprised.

"I apologize _Lenore_ but there is nothing I can do, nor anyone I know that can undo this. Except, of course, Madame Laveau. I advise you not to try anything either it would be far too dangerous to attempt." The young woman sighed dejectedly. "But there are books that may be able to help you understand the nature of your predicament." Will rose from his seat with cane in hand and walked down one of the aisles, followed closely by Raven. He traced his fingertips across the bindings of the books. "Any of these should help you further your knowledge. Take what you need." The young woman found several that could help her in possibly cracking this curse and brought them to a counter where an antique cash register sat. "Oh, no charge missy. If you've got a curse over your head, one placed there by Madame Laveau, you've already paid enough."

"Thanks." Raven said as Will put all of her books in a plain black bag.

"Have a nice day Lenore, do visit soon. Maybe bring your husband along next time." The young woman grimaced, remembering what she had to look forward to on her return to the apartment.

Engrossed in the books that Will had given her, Raven sat atop the soft bed cross-legged with each one open. The young woman was finding information that would be necessary to know if she was going to get them out of this mess. One book in particular dealt with ancient voodoo relics; so far it had been the most helpful. Turning through the pages, Raven gasped. There, right in front of her, was an old, faded picture of the rings that both her and Beast Boy were wearing. With great fervor the young woman brought the book closer to her and examined it further. "Vle Ajamè Damou Pou Ajamè." Raven whispered in the Creole with which it was written. Luckily, it was translated right below it. "Desire forever, love each other forever. These are the rings that bind two souls together for eternity. Two are one, one heart, one love, defying all opposing corners. If both souls consent, happiness shall be discovered. If this is a marriage of hate, only hate will come to those who partake, and their dance will be forever doomed." The young woman read aloud. She looked down at the ring on her finger and saw the Creole words scrawled around it. Raven looked back at the rings in the picture they were a perfect match. "There is no way to rid oneself of this spell, the rings are binding and those who wear them are locked to each other. If one chooses to halt fate, fate will strike with a vengeance, prolonging eternity and wiping away their previous lives forever." Raven reread this passage until it made sense to her, she felt her heart beat quicken. There was no way out, if the rings were removed they would never be Titans again.

Raven felt tears in her blue eyes but she refused to cry. Slowly the sinking feeling of hopelessness enveloped her. She missed her teammates. And as much as she found him annoying, Raven did not want to fight with Beast Boy. He was the only tie to her old life and she knew it would be more difficult for her to assimilate to her new life without him. The young woman felt her stomach tighten, and her skin crawl. Beads of sweat began to form on her brow and her breathing began to quicken. Raven felt dizzy and far away. Slowly, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and without warning, the young woman collapsed on the soft pillows of the bed.

* * *

It was dark in the living room, when Beast Boy finally pulled his head up from underneath the pillows. There was crusted drool on his chin and only then did he realize that he was still in his work clothes. Wiping the sleep from his eyes he sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. "What time is it?" He moaned. Looking at the red illuminated numbers on the TV he saw that it was 6:13 AM. Beast Boy yawned and looked around the room, adjusting to the lack of light. After getting his sleep he desperately needed and remembering the feud he had with Raven, the young man sat on the couch debating what he should do. Beast Boy knew he was wrong implying that her job was not difficult but he was still angry that she kept blaming all of this on him. He was tired and fed up, but he did not want to fight with her anymore. Beast Boy wanted to get out of this just as much as she did and them getting along and working together was important. 

Running a hand through his hair, and feeling that it was quite dirty, the young man thought it best that maybe before apologizing for the things he said he should take a shower. Slowly he tiptoed down the hall and noticed light pooling out from underneath the door. He opened the door tentatively and saw Raven on the bed surrounded by at least half a dozen books, asleep. Beast Boy noticed that she was shivering but brushed it off as her being cold. He continued got some clothes out of the drawers and made his way towards the bathroom. Once inside the young man cleaned himself up and put on some fresh clothes.

Light began to filter through the small window of the bathroom, as Beast Boy was finishing up. He expected Raven to be up by now, but when he saw her still asleep and still shivering, he began to grow worried. "Um, Rae?" Beast Boy asked as he walked closer to the bed. "Are you awake?" He sat down on the bed near her shaking body and placed a hand on her shoulder. The young man turned her so she was facing him and noticed that her face was flushed and her black hair was saturated with sweat. "Raven?" Beast Boy shouted nervously as he shook her. "Wake up!" Glancing down at her arm he noticed the marks, they looked repulsive, purpling and leaking puss. Tearing his eyes away from the disgusting sight Beast Boy jumped off the bed and over to Raven's purse where he grabbed her car keys. He ran back over to the unconscious woman and lifted her into his arms. "Please wake up Raven! I'm taking you to the hospital! Just please wake up!" The young man begged, "I'm sorry! Sorry for what I said! Just please wake up!" Beast Boy cried with worry etched into his face and clearly present in his voice. His emerald eyes were filling with tears at the mere thought of losing his wife.

* * *

Well…I know nasty cliffhanger but I haven't had one for a while! I hope you guys like Will and his store! Cookies for anyone that knows why the store is called "Doolittle Flower's." Hehe, anyways, what's going to happen to Raven? What about Beast Boy? Find out next time! Love you all! Reviews would be greatly appreciated! 

XOXO,  
Meg


	6. Maybe You Can Owe Me

Wow, I was so shocked by the response for the last chapter! Thank you all so much for reviewing! I cannot believe it! It was a wonderful surprise to see all of those lovely reviews! I am happy that you all like this story so much! I appreciate it, truly I do! It really makes me smile to know that people love this story as much as I do!

Oh and the Doolittle is from "Pygmalion" and "My Fair Lady" Eliza Doolittle is a flower girl that wants to work in a flower shop so hence the name! The play is by the fabulous George Bernard Shaw, a hero of mine!

Anyways, enough is enough…here is chapter 6!

This chapter is dedicated to the lovely **RabulaTasa **for always saying such nice things in his reviews and, of course, **SxStringSamurai13** for putting up with me and always offering awesome advice and help!

XOXO,  
Meg

PS Tons of X's and oh so many O's!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Teen Titans! DC does!

* * *

** Chapter 6: Maybe You Can Owe Me**

_And honey, there's no hurry, _

_I know it's overdue there's a key to the door, _

_To the room where I'm staying, _

_You can sleep on the floor, _

_Half way through the night can we talk and see? _

_'Cause there's no way that I'll sleep when you're near me_

Time crawled by on hands and knees as Beast Boy paced back and forth in the hospital's lobby. His emerald eyes were constantly drawn towards the clock that sat on the bare beige walls, like a moth to a flame. It had been over two hours and he still heard nothing from the doctor, nor was he allowed to see Raven. The young man was growing tired of his surroundings. He hated hospitals, they were all the same: sterile, bright lights, and the strong scent of rubbing alcohol and imitation jell-o. "Why don't you sit down?" Beast Boy turned to see a squat nurse with very curly blonde hair and an expression of agitation painted on her face.

"No." He stated as calmly as he could. The nurse retreated back to her station and sat watching the young man as he moved across the gray linoleum floor. When staring at the clock was too much for him to bear, Beast Boy's eyes would drift to the wing where Raven had been taken. "Where is the doctor?"

"Doctor Logan, asking where he is every ten minutes isn't going to make him come out any sooner." The nurse informed him patronizingly. She clearly was not a people person.

"Listen lady!" His patients were wearing thin and up until now he had been biting his tongue. "I have been waiting for _two_ hours. My _wife_ is sick! Do you understand that you work in a _hospital_? A place where people are usually upset!"

"What are you implying?" She asked, her nose scrunched and her face beet red. The nurse rose to her feet and came over to where Beast Boy was standing.

"I'm implying that, I don't know, with your attitude maybe you shouldn't have gotten a job around people!"

"Doctor Logan?" Beast Boy's head shot over towards the doors to see an older man with fading brown hair in a white coat. He glanced up from his silver clipboard to see the young man at his wits end with the nurse. Beast Boy straightened himself up and left the lobby, following the doctor down the long white hallway. "I'm Doctor Morgan, your wife is suffering from rat-bite fever, it's rare but becoming more and more prevalent nowadays. Symptoms are high fever, fatigue, muscle pain, and dizziness. We have put her on antibiotics she will be fine but she will be out of commission for quite some time. She's lucky you were there, otherwise this could have been fatal." Beast Boy gasped at his last words, Doctor Morgan smiled. "She will be fine now, rest and antibiotics should do the trick." The older doctor led the young man into a private room where he saw Raven lying on her back hooked up to an IV. Her black hair was plastered to her face and her skin looked as thin and ashen as paper. Yet to Beast Boy, the young woman never looked more beautiful, she was alive.

"Rae! Oh my God!"

"I'll give you two time alone." Doctor Morgan smiled as he closed the large wooden door. Beast Boy ran over to her bed but refrained from hugging her when he saw that she was still in pain.

"I am so sorry!" The young man apologized. Raven shook her head feebly.

"No don't be, I think we're even now. Thanks." She whispered lifting her head to look into his eyes.

"The Doctor says that you won't be able to do much for the next week or so." Beast Boy informed her.

"I'll be fine. I'm going home tomorrow. I'll be at work on Monday." She stated in a tone that sounded final. But the young man persisted.

"No, you aren't going to work. You're going to stay at the apartment in bed."

"What? I won't be able to stay in bed for two weeks. Absolutely not."

"C'mon Rae! I'm not going to fight you on this! For once, I know I'm 100 percent right. You are not going to work!" Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest and when Raven sighed in defeat, he stared down at her victoriously.

"But who's going to take care of me, if I'm apparently _too sick_ to do so myself." The young man thought about this for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"Well, I guess I will." He shrugged slowly.

"_You_ have work remember?"

"Dude, I'll take my vacation time! Anything to _not_ go back there!" Raven thought over this for a moment. They did not know anyone else and she would need someone to help her get around, her entire body was numb, she was completely immobile. With a small sigh the young woman nodded.

"Fine." She conceded closing her cerulean eyes. Beast Boy grinned proudly.

"See, I knew you'd see it my way." He placed his hand on hers, his tan skin contrasting greatly against her milky complexion. Raven's eyes shot open and they met her husband's. The young man felt his face burn and removed his hand immediately.

"Y-you can…trust me! I-I'll take the best care of you." Beast Boy stuttered nervously.

"I sure hope so."

* * *

"Okay, only a few more flights…" Beast Boy supported Raven, keeping her bandaged arm around his neck and his around her waist. She was moving slow and at this rate they would not be in their apartment until sunset. "This isn't working."

"Well what do you suggest we do _Gar_?" Raven asked exhausted, wincing in pain. "There's no elevator." Beast Boy sighed and, without any warning, the young man scooped his wife up in his arms and proceeded to carry her up the remaining stairs.

"There, now we're getting somewhere!" He grinned as he walked with ease. Raven rolled her eyes but was secretly thankful for Beast Boy carrying her, she was in too much pain and if she continued to walk her legs would have given out. She did not like being helped, it made her feel obligated to the person that was assisting her, but the fact that Beast Boy was not making a huge deal over helping her made it more bearable. Lost in thought, Raven did not notice that they had made it to their apartment and were just standing in front of the door.

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"We have to go inside." The young woman stated plainly. Beast Boy thought for a moment.

"Um, I can't get to the keys if I'm holding you. They're in my pocket."

"Which pocket?" Questioned Raven hoping it was the one on his hoodie, when she saw his face redden she knew exactly where the keys lay.

"They're in my pants pocket." He muttered refusing to meet her gaze. "Could…uh, could you get them? I mean, I can't put you down…and if I tried to get them out, I'd drop you…"

"Fine." Raven's arm snaked down awkwardly between her body and his, finding the pocket where the keys were. She felt Beast Boy tense up as her slender fingers found their way into his picket to retrieve the keys, but she tried to ignore it as best she could. The young man brought her closer to the door so she could unlock the door. "There." Raven said as she opened the door to their apartment. Beast Boy crossed the threshold with his wife in his arms and paused. A small smile fell upon his lips. "What?" The young woman stared up into his emerald eyes confused.

"Now, it's like we're officially married." He joked laughing. Raven rolled her eyes but rather than sighing out of annoyance, she joined him in his amusement. Beast Boy suddenly stopped laughing and stared down at the girl in his arms full of shock. "Dude! You laughed! I can't believe it! Man and I don't have any proof!"

"Shut-up."

"You should laugh more often."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Beast Boy shrugged. "It's really nice." Raven felt her face grow very hot. The young man noticed this and changed the subject quickly. "I'm gonna put you on the couch."

"Why?"

"Well, then if you want you can watch TV. Besides, you'll be close by." He stated as he carefully placed her on the couch.

"Close by?"

"Yeah, incase you need something…I'll be keeping my eye on you." The young man grinned at the helpless girl as he pulled out the extra blankets and pillow from the closet. "Lift your head." Raven complied with his request and he put the fluffy pillow behind her and covered body with the blanket.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I need to get my pajamas." She pulled back the blankets and was about to get up from the couch when she felt pain shoot through her entire body. Raven groaned as she fell back onto the couch.

"Don't get up! Please, I'll get them."

"No! I can do it." She insisted. The young woman hated feeling weak and tried again to move but this time the pain was much stronger.

"Rae, you need to stay put! You'll hurt yourself." Before she could respond Beast Boy was down the hall and rummaging through the dresser drawers. It did not occur to him until halfway through his mission that he was going through Raven's underwear. Immediately he took his hands out of the drawer and looked up into the mirror. "Dude, calm down!" He told himself as he shook his head. Growing flustered with trying to find her something suitable to wear he shut the drawer and moved down to the next one. There he found a pair of gray sweat pants and a green tank top. Thinking this would be suitable Beast Boy vacated the room quickly. "Right where I left you." The young man grinned.

"Obviously." Raven said sarcastically looking up at the clothes her husband held in his hands.

"Here." He placed the pajamas down on her lap. The young woman stared down at them and then up at Beast Boy. "Oh right, um…I'll leave. Hey, I'll go pick up your medicine. Will you be alright?" She nodded, Raven neglected to tell him that she could not dress herself and that she needed a nurse to help her at the hospital. Once she saw him shut the front door, she began her first attempt at changing into her pajamas. Pain burned through her bandaged arm as she tried to raise it above her head. She stifled a scream and proceeded through the aching to take off her shirt and pull on her tank top.

"That wasn't _too_ difficult." Raven commented as she slowly peeled back the blankets. Carefully she adjusted herself so that her feet were touching the ground. The young woman took off her shoes and tried to pull off her pants. Tears begin to form in her eyes; the excruciating fire Raven felt in her legs and arms was unbearable. But she knew she needed to be changed before Beast Boy got back. Gritting her teeth Raven quickly took off her pants and grabbed her pajama bottoms, rushing to get them on. Once the drawstring was tied, the young woman fell back onto the couch and let her tears fall. Every muscle in her body was sore. She had been knocked around many times in her life and had managed to stand afterwards but now, without her powers, her tolerance for pain seemed to have disappeared.

* * *

"Hey." Beast Boy's voice woke Raven from her unplanned nap. "I didn't want to wake you but it's time for you to take your meds." 

"That's fine." Raven opened her eyes to see her husband leaning on the armrest by her head. There were two pills and a glass of water on the coffee table.

"One is the antibiotic, and the other's a pain pill." He informed her. Beast Boy took the pills and water off the table and gave them to Raven. The young man noticed the redness of her eyes, and this time he was not going to let it go.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"No you're not." Beast Boy refused to let her sadness go. Raven turned away from her husband, she hated feeling weak and she was tired of crying.

"Can you just drop it?"

"I don't want to. I know how you feel Rae; I'm going through it too. But we need to stick together in order to make this work. Not talking to each other won't help us." Raven sighed, she knew he had a point but she had never been one that could open up to people. "Come on, Raven. Maybe you'll feel better." An awkward silence rested between the pair as the young woman took her pills.

"I'm so sick of this." Raven laughed weakly. "And it's only been a week. I don't know if I'll be able to put up with much more of this." Beast Boy sat down on the edge of the coffee table and stared into his wife's eyes. He saw frustration and anger. The young man liked seeing her emotional, but he did not like seeing her upset. All he wanted was to see her happy, to hear her laugh again.

"It'll all work out. I promise."

"How do you know that?"

"I'll make sure of it. But Rae we need to be a team. Don't bottle everything up anymore it isn't good for you." For the second time, Beast Boy put his hand on hers. This time, however, he did not move it away. Slowly, he stroked her wrist with his thumb and gazed into her big cerulean eyes. Normally, Raven would have been annoyed by this gesture, but him being there for her was really comforting. "Just come to me when you have a problem, I'm your friend." When he saw his wife nod, the young man knew it was time for him to change the subject. "Let's watch TV!" Beast Boy smiled and removed his hand from hers to grab the remote. "Man, I hate Sundays! It's all golf and infomercials!"

"I should call the school to tell them I won't be in for a while."

"Already did it."

"What?" Raven's eyes widened in amazement, Beast Boy was acting far more responsible then she thought he ever could be.

"Yup, and I called work. I'm officially off for two weeks, just as long as you are. So now you can rest."

"Are you serious? I thought you would only take off a few days. What are we going to do for money?"

"Two words: paid vacation! They actually pay me to _not_ go to work!" Beast Boy got up from his seat on the coffee table and walked over to the kitchen. "Want some soup?" He asked holding up a can of tomato soup.

"You don't have to make me lunch."

The young man shook his head. "Remember what I said, this is teamwork Rae and besides I _want_ to make you lunch."

"My name is Rae-_ven_ and why are you being so nice? It's annoying." She stated the young woman was growing uncomfortable with his kindness. Not that Beast Boy was mean to her; he was _too_ concerned and Raven felt almost undeserving of this sort of attention.

"We're married. I'm supposed to be nice to my _wife_."

"Half of all marriages end in divorce." Raven informed him as he poured the thick tomato soup into a saucepan and added water.

"We can't afford for ours to, _remember_? So I'm going to be nice to you whether you like it or not! Besides, your sick and I'm sort of obligated to."

"Fine." Raven knew it was no use fighting him when he put his mind to something, so she stopped arguing and watched the golfers on the television. Surprisingly, unlike her husband, she found the golf quite relaxing to watch. It beat the loud video games that were constantly being played at the Tower. Raven snapped out of her golf-induced trance when Beast Boy put a bowl of soup down in front of her. "Thanks." The pair ate in silence and watched the golf tournament; neither one paying attention to the television, both realizing how lonely the silence would be if they were without each other in this mess.

* * *

Night came quickly. Beast Boy made Raven remain on the couch, much to her chagrin but being that she could not get anywhere without his help she was forced to obey. Their day was filled with strained conversation and television watching. Raven had very little to say and she was embarrassed over her inability to do anything without his help, refusing to ask for help. Even though she knew he was fine with helping her, she was not. So for the day, as oppose to asking for a books to read, she allowed herself to be enveloped in the soft glow of television.

Beast Boy watched Raven for most of the afternoon from afar. He knew that prying would only drive her away and that was something he could not afford to let happen. He sat by the computer doing research of his own. When not focusing his attention on his wife, the young man's emerald eyes were fixated on the monitor reading over the words that scrawled across the screen. Nothing he read made sense, he had no prior knowledge of anything that concerned voodoo and the gypsy's name was nowhere to be found. But this did not stop his efforts, he knew for Raven's sake he had to try. He had to prove to her that he was serious. "Hey Raven?"

"What?" Beast Boy heard her tired voice croak.

"Are you getting tired?" A silence filled the room; the only thing to be heard was the anchorwoman's voice drone on during the 10 o'clock news. "I mean, it's late…you should be resting."

"I have been all day." Raven snapped, but her temper was not a deterrent for her husband. Rather his lips turned upwards into a smile, his patience was immense.

"Let's just go to bed." Beast Boy turned off the computer and got up from the chair. He left for the bedroom leaving the young woman alone in her thoughts. Her body still ached but she forced herself to ignore the pain so she could get some sleep. Just as she was drifting off light pooled from the hallway into the living room and was quickly shut off. In front of her stood Beast Boy with the comforter in one hand and a pillow in the other, he wore his boxers and an undershirt.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping out here."

"Well, there is not enough room on this couch." Raven stated plainly.

"I'm not sleeping there, I'll take the floor." His voice faltered slightly. If she saw Beast Boy blush, she did not let on.

"Why?"

"Because, incase you need something." He proceeded to move the coffee table closer toward the television so he could lie on the carpet. Beast Boy covered himself with the comforter and stared up towards the ceiling. His night would be a restless one. "Rae, are you still awake?" Raven's eyelids fluttered open.

"I am now."

"Oh."

"What?"

"I was just wondering." The young man took a deep breath. "What if we never get out of this? I mean what will we do?" Raven sighed; she did not want to tell him about the rings it would only make him worry.

"I don't know." Her voice was filled with honesty; she truly did not know what they would do. Another long silence went by, she could tell that her husband was in deep thought and was bound to ask another question.

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Am I, am I a good husband?" Beast Boy asked quickly almost embarrassed. He was curious. This question caught Raven off guard, but she had an answer for him.

"Yes, you are a good husband Beast Boy." The young man could not help but grin. He knew that Raven meant what she said and coming from her this was a huge compliment.

"Rae?"

"Yes Beast Boy?" She mumbled, her voice heavy with irritation. He seemed to know just when she was falling asleep.

"I know you're tired, but I just wanted to tell you…you're a good wife." He whispered. Beast Boy turned to face the coffee table and closed his eyes. "I'll let you sleep now. Night." Raven's lips turned upwards into a small smile and she closed her eyes as well.

"Goodnight."

Raven slowly woke, early morning setting in. Her body remained stiff, in pain as she attempted stretch. The room was silent save for Beast Boy's soft breathing. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness then turned carefully and stared down at her husband's sleeping form. He had managed to kick the blankets off of himself in the night and was now shivering on the cold floor. Raven felt a pang of guilt seeing him shaking on the freezing wooden floors. But he insisted that he slept near her. With her face growing pink the young woman tore her eyes away from Beast Boy and searched the room. Something did not seem quite right. Raven's breath caught in her throat and her heartbeat quickened, feeling a pair of eyes watching her. "Who's there?" She questioned the darkness, her voice barely above a whisper. The young woman heard the scratching of the computer chair and the clicking of boots. Suddenly a tall feminine form came into view and sat delicately on the armrest of the couch, she stared directly into Raven's eyes almost daring her to make a move.

"Oh _child_, what is it that you have gotten yourself into now?"

* * *

Well, I wonder who is watching them sleep? Hmm, toughie…anyways…thanks again all for reviewing! It seriously made my month to see all of those reviews! I was so excited. I truly hope this was worth the wait! I was so nervous posting it! Please review again! I promise that the next chapter will be up sooner, exams are over Monday and then summer:)

XOXO,  
Meg

PS The title is the name of the song where I got the quote from. This chapter was sort of based on the song...it's by Architecture in Helsinki. A very awesome band. Just thought I'd let you know:D


	7. Roses Are Red

Well, I am back! And so are you apparently if you are reading this:) I know I said before that it would be done earlier but it took me a long time to finish this one. Thank you all so much for the reviews…again I was not expecting such a big response! I am truly flattered! I love you all so much! Anyway, I know you don't read my story to read author's notes so the chapter shall begin now! Well after, you know, the other stuff.  
XOXO,  
Meg

PS **I am changing my penname to Totentanz **so from now on, if you look up my chapters by imadaywalker, you won't find them. :)

This chapter is dedicated to **Cg37 Seshiiria** thank you for the lovely reviews! And thanks to **SxStrngSamurai13** as always for helping me out and being so awesome!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Teen Titans, DC does!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Roses Are Red**

_They say a watched pot won't ever boil_

_You can't raise a baby on motor oil_

_Just like a seed down in the soil, you've got to give it time_

_-The Arcade Fire, Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles) _

"I thought you said it would be _months _until we would be graced with your presence." Raven stated dryly, blinking her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"It seems that you have really gotten yourself into quite the predicament child. Those rat bites, I never pegged you as one to desire _attention_."

"I didn't plan getting attacked by a rat." She whispered defensively, her cerulean eyes never leaving the woman. "Why are you here?"

"Oh dear, I can do as a I please. Unlike _you _and your husband, I do not have rules to abide by." Madame Laveau smirked slyly as she gazed down at Beast Boy. "Wake up son." She tapped him lightly with her boot. "This concerns you as well."

"Huh…" Beast Boy mumbled incoherently, upon opening his emerald eyes he was startled to see the gypsy staring at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"That is no way to treat a guest!" She shook her head in utter disgust. "No way at all."

"Why are you here?" He repeated clearly annoyed that she would not answer his question. Madame Laveau got up from her seat and walked casually around the room picking up pictures and studying them carefully.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood." She laughed merrily. "But all kidding aside, as I said before I have rules for the two of you. My apologies for not remembering to tell you these before."

"_Rules?_" Raven questioned just as annoyed as Beast Boy.

"Oh yes Miss Raven, or should I say _Mrs. Logan_." The young woman felt her skin crawl, the woman's saccharine tone was unnerving. "Not only was your attention driven scheme an issue with me, but your sleuthing is becoming a problem. No more."

"Are you afraid?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Hardly, I am a Voodoo Queen my dear, I pride myself in remaining within the shadows. You've already discovered too much. However I do find it peculiar that you do not wish to share your findings with Mr. Logan." She grinned wolfishly. "Garfield," Madame Laveau turned towards the young man, "did you know those rings of yours…they cannot be taken off…although, if you succeed in doing so, you will be stuck in this life forever? I'm sure your wife did not inform you of this, did she?" Beast Boy looked up at Raven, she was staring down at her lap.

"No, she didn't." Her keeping this secret and the fact that he had to find out this way hurt Beast Boy.

"Communication and cooperation are important in any marriage. On that note, what sort of living arrangements are these? You force your husband to sleep on the floor? This will no longer suffice. From now on you both share one bed."

"No!" Both said in unison. The pair's faces turned equal shades of crimson, neither one could look at the other.

"This is not an option. I am sorry but if these rules are not obeyed be prepared for serious ramifications." Madame Laveau winked. "Well this is all I had to discuss. Get well child. Oh and if either of you go looking for those books…or that Voodoo shop, you will not find them. Good day!" With that the woman vanished in thin air leaving nothing but a thick layer of dust on their wooden floors. There was a long silence before Beast Boy stood and looked down at his wife.

"So when were you going to tell me about the rings?" Raven continued to look at the blanket covering her legs, refusing to meet his gaze.

"If you went along you would have found out, but you were too busy."

"I was tired! I just got home from work!"

"We aren't going to have this fight again." The young woman said calmly.

"But you started it!" Beast Boy groaned as he paced back and forth in front of her, his hands pulling at his blonde hair. "I feel like I'm going insane!"

"You are insane, it isn't a big deal." Raven argued. The young man stopped pacing and glared at his wife.

"It is! We are a team!"

"This is exactly why I did not say anything."

"I can't believe this! I bet you would have toldthe _others_ if you were stuck with one of them." Beast Boy stated angrily, losing eye contact with Raven. He knew bringing up the Titans was not a way to solve the problem but he could not help himself. Another awkward silence spread over the room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She whispered. The young woman knew that if she did not concede, the argument could go on forever. Beast Boy looked back at her surprised by the apology. His mood softened as he sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch by Raven's feet. He glanced over at his wife and could not help but grin seeing her red face illuminated by the morning light. Beast Boy secretly enjoyed seeing Raven blush, she was very lovely when she did.

The young man's eyes glittered playfully. "So, what side of the bed do you want?" Raven met his gaze, glaring at him.

"I am not sharing a bed with you." She said plainly.

"You heard her, if we don't she'll do something to us!" The young woman shrugged.

"Let her."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn? I'm sorry but I really don't feel like getting into worse trouble with that woman, she's psycho!" After some consideration Raven realized Beast Boy was right and agreed.

"Fine, but there is no way we are sleeping anywhere near each other."

"Dude, you think I'd want to?" The young man questioned raising a blonde eyebrow. He glanced over at the clock on the TV and, noticing it was 8:30 rose from his seat to get Raven's medicine for her.

"What's that?" She asked as he placed a very large pill next to the antibiotic.

"_That's _a pain pill, the doctor prescribed you two different pain pills. This ones stronger, I heard you groaning last night, thought you would need something better."

"Thanks." Raven took her medicine and lay back down slowly. Almost instantly she felt the pill working its magic. From her toes to her head she could feel her body numb and relax. Along with calming her body, the pill began clouding her mind. Everything around her was slowing down and becoming more peaceful.

"Feel any better?" The only response Beast Boy got from Raven was a small smile and a nod. "That's one strong pill." He mused, taking her water glass and putting it on the kitchen counter. Just as the young man was making his way back over to his wife, he heard a loud buzzing noise fill the room. Beast Boy saw that it was the intercom and quickly made his way over to the small box. "Um, hello?"

"Hey Gar it's me, Jason. I heard about Raven. Can you buzz me up?"

"Oh um sure." Beast Boy pressed the button that unlocked the door to the apartment building and waited by the intercom.

"Who's Jason?"

"He's this guy I work with, I think we're friends or something." He shrugged. Soon, the young man heard a knocking at the door. He opened it and saw the dark haired man standing in the hallway with a bouquet of rich red roses.

"Hey buddy." Jason smiled patting Beast Boy on the shoulder as he let himself in. "I wanted to stop by and see how she was doing." He walked over to the young woman who was currently gazing off into nothingness. "Oh Raven, how're you?" She looked up at him with listless cerulean eyes and shook her head slowly.

"She just took her pain meds." Beast Boy stated walking over to his wife and sat down on the coffee table near her head. "She'll be out of it for a while."

"Oh no. Can you hear me? I brought you flowers."

"Who _are_ you?" Raven took the roses and brought them to her nose. "These smell nice, thank you stranger."

"I'm Jason, a _friend_ of yours. I'm glad you like them." Jason put a hand on hers and stroked it gently. Beast Boy furrowed his brow suspiciously.

"My _husband_ is right there, aren't you?" The young woman looked at her husband to make sure he was near her and smiled. Beast Boy was relieved that she still recognized him.

"Yeah, I'm here." He put a hand on her cheek and brushed back some of her black tendrils.

"Good." She whispered closing her eyes and rubbing her cheek against his hand. Beast Boy grinned, blushing slightly. He looked over at Jason, noticing the look of desire in his eyes as he stared down at Raven.

"Why are you so red?"

"I, uh…it's hot in here don't you think?"

"Um, I guess…" Jason nodded in feigned agreement. Raven stopped rubbing her face against her husband's hand and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Beast Boy…where are _my_ hands?"

"Who's _Beast Boy_? Very _interesting_ pet name you got there." The young doctor joked and raised his eyebrows seeing his friend's cheeks burn hotter.

"Your hands are under _his_ Raven." Beast Boy said. Noticing this, Jason quickly removed his hand from hers.

"Oh! Goooood!" Once she discovered her hands the young woman continued to rub her cheek against Beast Boy's hand. "I'm like a cat. Aren't you a cat sometimes?"

"Um, no Raven…"

"A _cat_?"

"I really don't know." Beast Boy muttered as he tried to control his wife. "Um, what time do you have work today?" He asked in an attempt to get him out of their apartment before Raven said anything else. Jason looked at his watch.

"Oh, actually I should have been there a ten minutes ago! Yikes, well. Give Raven my love when she's more _awake_."

"Sure." Beast Boy said unenthusiastically. Jason was almost out the door when he stopped and turned to his friend.

"Hey, want to go get a drink later?"

"I really shouldn't leave her alone like this. Maybe some other time."

"Oh okay yeah. See ya later."

"Bye." Once the door was closed the young man focused all his attention on his wife.

"Where did he go?"

"He's gone."

"I don't like him." Raven slurred, a hint of sobriety in her otherwise unusually perky tone. Although the pain medication impaired her behavior, she could still see that something was not right about Jason. Beast Boy nodded in agreement and stared down at the young woman. "I'm so tired."

"Go to sleep."

"Are you going to stay here?"

"Yeah, I promise." The young man got up to leave when he heard Raven groan in protest.

"No, stay!" Beast Boy was stunned by the drastic affect in personality the pills had on his wife. She had never acted so needy especially when it came to his company. Out of shock he complied with her wish and nodded. "Thank you." She mumbled as her eyes slowly closed. As soon as she was asleep, the young man's thoughts began to drift to Jason. There was something he did not like about his "friend," but the doctor had been nothing but nice to both him and his wife.

Beast Boy's thoughts did not linger on him for long; the situation with Jason did not matter to him now as he watched Raven sleep. The young man watched her sleep. He watched her breathe easily, her chest rising and falling delicately and he saw the smile play upon her lips as she dreamed. Beast Boy sighed, she was so peaceful in this state.

* * *

The young man was perched on the edge of the couch hunched over one of his thick textbooks. It was late afternoon and Raven was still asleep. Studying the insides of animals was not as fun as it would seem and his emerald eyes kept drifting up to the blank television screen. It was not long until the book was thrown aside and he had the remote in his hand. Beast Boy lowered the volume down as low he could with still being able to hear it and watched the only thing that was on, Oprah. Immediately he was engrossed in the show. She was interviewing women who wanted to rekindle the romance in their marriages. The young man smirked. "Good thing we don't have that problem, right Rae?" He looked down at his sleeping wife. "We don't even _like_ each other." Just then the intercom began to buzz. "Oh man." He mumbled as he rose from the couch expecting it to be Jason. "Hello?"

"Hello, my name is Olivia Prewitt. This is where Raven Logan lives, yes?" A very feminine voice questioned politely.

"Um, yeah."

"Splendid, may I see her? My son, Neal, is a student of hers and he wanted to give her something." Beast Boy pushed the button for them to come up and opened the apartment door to wait for them. After a few minutes he saw a tall, red haired woman in a moss green cardigan and khaki skirt round the corner with a small boy in tow. In her hand she held a basket full of muffins. "It is so lovely to meet you, I assume you are Mr. Logan?"

"Yeah. Um, come in." Beast Boy ushered the two inside. "Raven's sleeping right now…"

"I'm up." A drowsy voice mumbled. Raven was propped up against the armrest staring intently at the youngest boy.

"Mrs. Logan!" The blonde haired boy screeched as he ran over to her. "I brought you something." The young woman's sleepy eyes opened wide.

"Better not be another rat." She warned.

"I came to apologize for my son's behavior in class, _that_ rat is gone now. Apparently, he found it in the basement and has been hiding it from my husband and I for weeks. I'm surprised he did not get sick." Olivia placed the basket on the table. "I made muffins, now I know they can't make up for what Neal did but I assure you he is _truly _sorry." Once the woman's rant was over, Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. It seemed as if what she was truly concerned about was a lawsuit.

"I made you a card Mrs. Logan." Neal pulled a card out from his backpack and handed it to Raven. It had a gray rat on it with tiny X's through its beady eyes. Next to the dead rat was a stick figure with blonde hair that was saying, _'I'm sorry'_ in crude handwriting. "Do you like it?" He asked eagerly.

"Thank you Neal." The little boy gleamed with pride and hugged his teacher causing Raven much pain.

"She's still a little sore, be careful." Beast Boy said worried. Neal looked over at

"Who're _you_?" Neal was staring up at the young man with a look of annoyance.

"I'm her husband." He stated. The blonde haired boy turned to look at Raven and then back at Beast Boy, grinning mischievously.

"Why don't you have any _babies_?" The young man's face turned beet red and his emerald eyes were wide with embarrassment.

"Uh…um, _I_ don't…_we_…" Beast Boy cast his gaze towards the floor and slowly backed out of the living room into the hallway. "I…uh gotta go!"

"Neal! Honey, you don't ask questions like that." Olivia chastised her son, but could not help but smile at Beast Boy's stuttered response. "Again, I am terribly sorry for my son's behavior Mrs. Logan."

"You can call me Raven." The young woman said, she was beginning to grow annoyed at the use of her new surname.

"Oh, well alright." Olivia nodded smiling warmly and noticed the roses on the coffee table. "Would you like me to put those in water for you?"

"Oh, um sure. Thanks." Raven just noticed the flowers; she had no idea where they came from. Once Olivia put them in a vase she had found both her and Neal took their leave.

"If you ever need any company, don't hesitate to call. I left my cell phone and house number on the table by the phone. I hope we can talk again, maybe go out to lunch! Feel better dear!" The two left the apartment quickly. It was not until Beast Boy knew that they were definitely gone that he came back out from the bedroom.

"Sorry." He whispered concentrating on the wooden floors. Raven could not stop the laughter that was rising in her throat. She laughed loudly and fully, her cerulean eyes filling with tears.

"You should have seen your face!" The young woman grinned. Beast Boy looked up from the floor and saw his wife's jovial expression, awe washed over him. Seeing her face light up was shocking. Never before had he seen her so _free_. The young man liked seeing her laugh, it was important to him. It was a way for Beast Boy to know that she trusted him. Raven stopped laughing and stared into her husband's eyes.

"What?" She asked, confused over his stunned look. Beast Boy shook his head, awakening himself out of the trance.

"Nothing."

"No, what were you thinking about?" Raven persisted, even though she could not feel his emotions, she could tell something was going on. The young man smirked devilishly.

"I don't think I'm going to tell you."

"Why not? _You_ were the one that said we had to share." She reminded him.

"Oh well, guess you'll never know." Beast Boy winked playfully and sat down on the coffee table and turned the volume on the television up. Raven glared as the young man ignored her, opting to watch TV. Out of the corner of his eye, the young man saw the annoyance on his wife's face and tried very hard to suppress his smile. As bad as their situation was, Beast Boy loved being able to see Raven truly be herself and he loved being the one that brings it out.

It was dark in the living room, the only light was emanating from the television. Raven looked down at the clock, it was already 11:00. She looked over to Beast Boy and saw his eyes drooping. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

"Sure." He mumbled lethargically. The young man turned off the television and moved closer to Raven.

"What are you doing?"

"Picking you up." Beast Boy gently lifted his wife off of the couch and walked her down the hallway to the bedroom as her eyes continued to close, the young woman rested her head on her husband's shoulder. Beast boy nearly lost a step and dropped his wife before managing to pull back the covers and place her softly on the bed. Once she was safely in bed, he walked over to the dresser to get pajamas to change into and was almost to the bathroom when she stopped him.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Could you build a wall?"

"A _wall_?" Beast Boy raised a blonde eyebrow.

"A wall between us, out of pillows?"

"A _pillow wall_?"

"Yes, so you don't come over on my side." He sighed and began gathering the pillows that were in the corner of the room and lined them up down the middle of the bed cutting it into two halves.

"What makes you think that I would want to come over on your side? If anything, I bet it would be you." Beast Boy grinned. Raven rolled her eyes and said nothing. When he was finished the young man took his pajamas into the bathroom and proceeded to change.

"Hey Beast Boy?" Raven called sleepily.

"Yeah?" Beast Boy reemerged from the bathroom in his pajamas and slid into the bed next to his wife, making sure to be over on his side as far as possible. He turned on his side to face the pillow wall but could not see Raven.

"Who brought those roses?"

"Jason." He muttered. "A guy I work with."

"Oh, I think I remember him. That pain pill clouded everything." She said. Raven thought for a moment, she wanted to ask Beast Boy about her behavior. The young woman could not remember much and she was curious. She prayed that she did not do anything she would have to explain. "What was I like?"

"On the meds? Um, very tired. But other than that, pretty normal." He did not want to share any details of her drug-induced behavior, which included her rubbing her cheek against his hand and begging for him to stay. He also did not want to talk about Jason and his visit and what he thought about the flowers he brought

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Raven sighed, full of relief. Tentatively she curled up into a ball and shut her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Welcome Rae."

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. It was difficult for me to write. Raven was sort of hard to write in her pain killer mode (believe me…people do act a little zany on them I have had experience due to monster ear infections) and now that she's loosening up it was a tad difficult, I really hope she was all right...anyway, how about the gypsy! Whoa man and her new rule is a tad crazy! Oh and Mr. Jason, what about him…hm, pretty creepy! So, any idea of what might happen? Please review and thanks again for such lovely reviews! Oh and remember, new penname** Totentanz**.

XOXO,  
Meg


	8. Time to Trust

I know… :( I've been gone for a million years…it's been very hectic. I'm leaving for a pre-college thing soon and might not get the opportunity to update as often. But I shall try my darndest. If any "Pygmalion" readers are reading this…don't worry I haven't forgotten about that story! It's been hard to pick up lately while writing this one. But I am not going to leave it! Anyway, I hope all of you like this chapter…I sure do! ;)  
XOXO,  
Meg

This chapter is dedicated to **PanamaRoxMySox** for being awesome and leaving such kind words and, as always, **SxStrngSamurai13 **for helping me out a lot and not getting annoyed!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Teen Titans! It is DC's…sadly…

* * *

**Chapter 8: Time to Trust**

"_The best proof of love is trust."  
-Joyce Brothers_

Cool air filtered in through the open windows, arousing Beast Boy out of his restless sleep. Ever since Madame Laveau forced them into their sleeping arrangements, the young man had found it difficult to find any rest. Being so close to Raven, even with the 'pillow wall', created a tension he could not explain. Quietly, making sure not to rouse his wife, he lifted himself off the bed. Slowly, he tiptoed over to the windows and shut them so that no more cold air and rain would enter. Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder at Raven. Lately she had been feeling better, he could tell by the way she slept. For the first couple of days she would never be able to become comfortable, she was always fidgeting. That could be due to the fact that she was just as tense as he. But recently she had been able to relax. Knowing that Raven was getting the rest she needed relieved Beast Boy. He sighed pulling the blanket over her shivering form and left her to sleep.

Raven felt her husband's fingers graze her shoulder but dared not open her eyes. He thought she was asleep, but this was not the case. The young woman hated the thought of sleeping so close to another person, it made her nervous. Hearing him turn on the shower, she knew that he was awake and not coming back to bed. Turning to face the windows, Raven breathed in the last lingering wisps of fresh air. She almost allowed herself to yield to the temptation of sleep when something struck her.

The young woman pulled the excess fabric of her green tank top up towards her nose and smelled it. Raven had not showered since before she went to the hospital! Slowly she fingered her hair, it was quite greasy and her skin was moist with sweat. She cursed herself for not realizing this sooner; her mind was too wrapped up in other things. Her face burned brightly, Beast Boy must have thought she was disgusting! Not wanting to think about that, Raven pulled back the blanket and gingerly placed her feet on the wooden floors. Gripping onto the nightstand for support she stood, her walk was shaky she was still getting used to being back on her feet. Within minutes she was back to sitting down on the edge of the bed. She knew she would never be able to shower on her own.

Her heart leapt into her throat, there was no way she could _ever_ ask Beast Boy to help her bathe! "No, absolutely not!" Raven muttered to the wall keeping her cerulean eyes cast down towards her pale feet. The young woman argued out her dilemma. "But I need to take a shower." She had to become clean _somehow_ but her options were very limited. Raven felt her face grow hotter and hotter at the mere thought of him helping her. But she knew that there really was no other way but she was too afraid to ask. Suddenly, she heard the water stop running Beast Boy was through with his shower.

_Raven tensed as soapy water crept down her back. Her husband put a hand on her shoulder the other curled around her black hair, pushing it aside. "Relax." He breathed into her ear, his palm lightly stroking the small crevice between her shoulder and neck. Raven tried to breath easier as she sat in the sudsy bath water, Beast Boy kneeled behind her on the bathmat. She closed her eyes, feeling very comfortable as his hands moved upwards to massage her head. His fingers felt natural combing through her hair, pressing delicately against her scalp. Raven sighed unknowingly as one of Beast Boy's hands found its way towards her shoulders. His hand traveled down further resting on the small of her back. Raven's cheeks flushed and slowly, she looked over her shoulder to face Beast Boy. He grinned down at her and placed the hand that was tangled in her hair on her chin, tilting her face upwards. His thumb brushed softly over her lips. She saw the twinkle in her husband's emerald eyes and waited in anticipation as he gently inched his way closer to her, closing the space between them._

Raven's eyes opened wide, she bit her lower lip using the pain as a means to fight off the thoughts she was having. She shook her head violently in an attempt to force the ideas from her brain. These methods were getting her nowhere and the picture in her mind's eye was growing increasingly strong. The young woman buried her head in her hands, groaning over the frustration this dilemma was causing her.

The young man looked down at the tiled floor and noticed that he had forgotten his clothes. With an irritated sigh, Beast Boy tightened the towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. Steam poured out with him as he entered the dully-lit bedroom. "Beast Boy…I _smell_ really bad." His ears perked at Raven's voice, he was surprised she was up. He saw her turn away from the windows to face him. "Oh! Sorry!" She whipped back around; her entire face was beet red.

"Sorry…h-hang on!" Beast Boy stuttered, just as embarrassed as his wife. Briskly, the young man walked over to the dresser and pulled out any clothes he could find. He ran back into the bathroom and dressed as quickly as he could. Once he was completely clothed he reentered the room. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Raven was still red and refused to look his way. Beast Boy noticed this and sighed. Tentatively, he walked over to where she was sitting on the edge of the bed and sat down next to her.

"You're right."

"What?" Questioned Raven, looking at her husband and narrowing her eyes. An all to familiar grin spread over his face.

"You do smell bad."

"Gee thanks." Her monotone voice rang out around the room as she rolled her eyes.

"Wanna do something about it?" The young man raised an eyebrow. Raven looked at him. Now was her chance. She had a plan. Since she was too uncomfortable asking Beast Boy for help, she would make him ask her.

"I can't. It's still too hard to do certain things." The young woman shook her head tiredly. "I can barely lift my arms over my head." Beast Boy stared at her, he knew that she would need help but was hesitant in offering any. He was afraid of how she would react.

"Raven, do you want my help?" He scratched at his damp blonde head nervously. "I mean, I promise I won't be weird or anything. If you think I would, I won't be!" Beast Boy added. Raven feigned consideration before sighing deeply and nodding her head.

"Fine." She stated simply. Carefully, she rose from the bed. Finding the wall for support. Beast Boy got up as well and put an arm around her waist to help keep her balanced.

"You've been in the same pajamas for over a week."

"You're very observant." Raven commented wryly. They walked into the bathroom, Beast Boy turned on the faucet and putting the stopper in the drain. Raven leaned against the sink fiddling with the hem of her tank top and watched as her husband poured soap into the running water. Bubbles filled the tub and just before they cascaded over onto the floor Beast Boy shut off the tap. He turned to face Raven who stared blankly back at him.

"Um, so what now?" The young man asked awkwardly. "Do you need help with…?" He could not finish his sentence, his expression filled in for what he was trying to ask.

"No. But close your eyes and turn around." She said curtly. Beast Boy did as he was told and turned to face the tub with his emerald eyes firmly shut. Once Raven was absolutely sure he was not looking, she grabbed the fabric on her shirt and painfully began to pull it over her head. It took a great effort for her to do this alone but she drew the line at Beast Boy bathing her, there was no way she would allow him to help her undress. Once she was finished and had a towel wrapped around her body she tapped her husband on the shoulder. "I'm ready."

"Okay." He kept his eyes cast down to the floor and helped her into the tub. Raven remained in the towel so that she was well hidden underneath it and the mass amounts of white foamy bubbles. Very aware of herself and the presence of Beast Boy, she slowly began to wash her arms.

"Do you need any help?" Beast Boy's voice was almost inaudible; he sat on the edge of the tub facing the sink.

"No." Raven's face began to flush again. "Well maybe, um…could you wash my hair? It really hurts too much to do it myself."

"Sure." He muttered grabbing the shampoo bottle. The young man squirted some shampoo into the palm of his hand and hesitantly began working it into his wife's hair. Raven held her breath and kept her eyes shut.

"You have nice hair." Beast Boy said trying to fill the silence. Raven smiled slightly.

"Thanks."

"Okay, close your eyes." Beast Boy reached up and grabbed the showerhead and turned it on. He washed away all of the shampoo until her hair was entirely black with no remnants of any suds. "All finished." Raven opened her cerulean eyes and pushed her hair off of her face. "Do you need anything else?" He already knew what her answer would be from the ever-growing shade of her already crimson cheeks.

"Could you possibly…no, never mind."

"What do you need?"

"Nothing." Beast Boy looked at her doubtfully, he knew she needed something else.

"Just tell me."

"Well," Raven sighed deeply taking her time with what she had to say, "could you…wash my back?"

"W-what?" He stuttered slightly, his eyes widening at her bold request. But he knew it was out of trust that she asked him.

"You don't have to."

"No! I don't mind." Beast Boy's entire thought process froze. He saw the luffa hanging from the hook on the wall opposite him and reached out for it. Both of his arms were shaking madly. He tried to steady himself as best he could but he was unable to control his nerves. "AHH!" The arm that was supporting him on the edge of the bathtub gave out and ungracefully the young man fell head first into the warm water.

"Beast Boy!" Raven yelped as she clamored to the opposite side of the tub. Water was flowing over the sides and the young woman noticed that her husband was almost completely submerged under the bubbles. "Beast Boy?" She asked with more concern in her voice. Carefully, she tapped him with her foot to see if he would respond. Almost instantly he lifted himself out of the sea of bubbles turning his body so that he was leaning up against the wall. Beast Boy stared up at the luffa dangling above his head mockingly, and yanked it down. Bubbles and water dripped from his previously clean blonde hair into his emerald eyes and his clothes were saturated with sudsy bathwater. "Are you alright?"

"Um…yeah, I'm just sort of stuck." He mumbled trying to push himself up out of the uncomfortable position he was in. After several failed attempts Beast Boy was finally able to sit cross-legged, facing Raven who was staring at him with wide, alarmed eyes. The pair sat and stared at each other for several minutes, both blushing profusely, neither one knowing what to say. Finally, Beast Boy spoke. "Um…should we just finish?" Raven dropped her gaze down to the bubbles embarrassed.

"Fine." She said hesitantly.

"Okay, let me go change."

"No, you're soaked. It would be pointless to change…so let's just finish."

"Are you sure? My promise still stands." Beast Boy reminded her kindly. "I won't do anything."

"I know." Slowly, Raven turned so that her back was to her husband. Timidly, the young man took the luffa and placed it on her shoulder focusing his attention on the shower curtain rather than the task at hand. This was one of the last things he had ever thought he would be doing in his life. With a heavy sigh Beast Boy finished washing her shoulders, not daring to go any further and hung the luffa back up.

"Done." Almost immediately the young man shot out of the tub and standing on the mat. Raven looked up at him and nodded in thanks. Beast Boy reached down to help his wife out and soon both of them were standing, soaking wet in the middle of the bathroom. "Here." He held out a fresh towel for Raven and she took it without saying a word. "I'll get you some clean pajamas." Beast Boy walked back into the bedroom, puddles of water trailing behind him. Raven quickly exchanged her wet towel for the dry one and waited patiently for her husband to return. "Will this be alright?" He was holding a pair of black sweatpants and a dark blue t-shirt.

"That'll work."

"I know you don't want me helping you with this part." He left the clothes on the sink and smiled at his wife. "I'll be out here. Yell if you need anything." Once Beast Boy closed the door he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. He was still shaking and his face was still burning. The young man grinned sheepishly as he walked over to the drawers to retrieve clean clothes for himself. He threw them on without much thought and waited until his wife called for him.

"I'm finished." Raven announced from the other side of the door, not leaving the bathroom knowing that Beast Boy was probably changing his clothes.

"You can come out." He called back. Slowly she opened the door and walked over to the young man, a small smile on her lips.

"Your head!" Her smile vanished and her cerulean eyes fixated on his forehead. Crimson drops of blood crept down his brow staining his blonde hair. "Did you even realize that you're bleeding?" She questioned. Beast Boy touched his forehead and looked back down at his fingers. Sure enough, he was bleeding.

"I guess I just didn't notice it. There was already a lot on my mind." He laughed; his grin grew wide when he saw Raven roll her eyes.

"How big is the gash?" Beast Boy noted the concern in her voice and bowed his head so she could examine him. The young woman pushed his soaking, mop-like hair back and found the wound. It rested right on his hairline and was showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. "It'll have to be bandaged." Before Beast Boy could say anything Raven was back in the bathroom rummaging through the cabinet. "Sit down on the bed and turn on the light." The young man obeyed and sat down, turning on the lamp. Raven returned with some gauze, a bandage, and a bottle filled with some unidentifiable liquid.

"What's that?"

"Gauze?"

"No, I know what gauze is." It was Beast Boy's turn to roll his eyes. "What's in the bottle?"

"Just hold still." Instructed Raven. "It might sting a bit." She took a piece of the gauze, poured some of the liquid onto it, and carefully applied it to Beast Boy's cut.

"Oh my God! _A bit_? Dude! What the Hell is that stuff?" He yelled frantically backing away from his wife.

"It's antiseptic. It isn't _that_ bad."

"My head feels like it's on fire!"

"Good, that means it's working." Raven stated in a dry tone. "You've had worse scrapes then this one."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it can't hurt!"

"It'll only help." After a moment's consideration Beast Boy scooted back over to where he was sitting, Raven trusted him, and he should do the same. The young woman finished bandaging up her husband and sat down next to him on the bed. Beast Boy looked at her out of the corner of his eye and slowly put his arm around her shoulders. He felt her straighten out surprised by the action but slowly she relaxed.

"Thanks for bandaging me." Beast Boy said with a goofy grin on his face. Raven nodded.

"Thank you for helping me. Beast Boy, you really are a…good husband."

"You said that before, you don't have to again."

"That's okay, I mean it."

"Really?" He asked in genuine shock. Once again, Raven nodded. Beast Boy looked down at her and saw that she was smiling. They sat in silence neither one saying a word. But unlike the silences they shared in the past, this one was not awkward. It was welcome and both were enjoying each other's company. "What's that noise?" Beast Boy asked, a loud ringing echoed through the apartment shaking him out of the silence.

"I think it's the phone."

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll go get it then." Somewhat saddened Beast Boy rose from his seat and made his way into the living room to retrieve the phone. "Hello?"

"Good morning Gar! It's me Olivia, how are you?" A somewhat lively feminine voice asked. The young man's brow furrowed, as he could not remember who this woman was.

"I'm good?" He said, his answer coming out like a question.

"That's nice…is Raven available?"

"Hang on." Beast Boy walked back into the bedroom and handed the phone to his wife.

"Hello?"

"Hi Raven, how are you feeling?" The young woman recognized the woman's voice. Olivia had kept in contact with her for the past week updating her on how school was going and just calling to talk in general. Raven liked Olivia, she was very honest and straight to the point and even though she was getting along with Beast Boy, she found it nice to be able to speak to someone other then him.

"I'm feeling better."

"Good to hear. I just dropped the kids off at school and apparently there's a PTA meeting tonight. I suppose it's important since it this is the first I've heard of it, and I'm on the committee!" Raven had a feeling she knew where this was headed. But waited for Olivia to finish. "Now I know I'm asking a lot of you, what with your current condition and all, but do you think you would be able to attend?"

"I don't think so." She heard the woman sigh.

"Oh no…hmm, we really need someone there in your place. Wait! I've got it! Could Gar fill in for you?" Raven looked at Beast Boy. He was examining his head in the mirror, trying to conceal the bandage with his hair. The young woman put her hand over the phone so that Olivia could not hear her.

"Beast Boy, there's a PTA meeting at the school tonight." Raven tried to suppress her laughter as best she could, but the thought of Beast Boy sitting in a meeting surrounded by mothers and teachers was too funny. "Olivia wants to know if you would be willing to go for me." The young man stopped messing with his hair and looked at Raven's reflection in the mirror.

"_PTA meeting_?" Beast Boy looked around the room for help, he could not think up an excuse. He breathed out his hesitancy and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine."

"Olivia, _Gar_ said that he would go." Raven told the woman. Beast Boy grimaced, thinking of the forthcoming evening. If it were anything like he thought it would be, he certainly was not going to enjoy himself.

* * *

Beast Boy walked up the front stairs of the prestigious 'Glen View Academy.' His stomach did flips as he stared up at the castle-like school that loomed overhead. The rainy night skies did nothing to help aide the atmosphere. Shaking his head and pulling his coat tighter around his form the young man continued his walk up the stone steps. Once inside, he found himself in a rather cheery brightly lit room. "Hello, the PTA meeting is being held in the cafeteria. Just keep going straight." Beast Boy heard some woman say and continued down the hall, keeping his eyes downcast on the finely polished floors. 

"Doctor Logan?" A rather loud, womanly voice shouted. Beast Boy tore his gaze away from the floor and looked up to see a very tan, blonde woman smiling at him. "I didn't expect to see you here!" The young man, realizing he was in the cafeteria finally took a glance at his surroundings and nearly ran out of the cafeteria. There was not one other man in the room. "No Raven?" The blonde woman questioned, laughing like a loon.

"Um, she's sick."

"Oh what a shame!" She said in a tone that held no sympathy whatsoever. "Well, then you can sit with me!" Before Beast Boy could protest, the woman grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the chairs up front. The young man closed his emerald eyes out of fear and said a silent prayer for his life.

* * *

dun…Dun…DUN! My, my, my what has Beast Boy gotten himself into now:) And what about Raven's dream...hahaha, she is a teenager after all...and not having to worry about her powers has opened a lot of doors! Interesting...! There were a lot of cute moments…I thought since I was away for a while I'd kick up the volume! Hmm, well I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did writing it! So, what do you guys think will happen next? I'd love to know! Please review and return to read Chapter 9! Love you all so much!

XOXO,  
Meg


	9. Surprises in Zen Garden

Guess who's back! That's right, I didn't die! I was at a college program for six weeks with little time to do much else but study and do absolutely nothing. Ah, I can't wait for college! Anyway, I apologize over and over and OVER for not updating well I was away! I should have, I wanted to but for some reason I just couldn't find what to write! But now that I'm back, I'm all over this! Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review! I love you all so much for doing so and even those that just read, thank you! I am so happy! Okay, as usual you guys aren't here to hear my life's story…so on with the chapter! Enjoy!  
XOXO,  
Meg

This chapter is dedicated to **katergator** for being VERY amazing and, of course, **SxStrngSamurai13 **for reminding me that this story won't write itself!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans; DC does…although I do own several Teen Titans comic books!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Surprises in Zen Garden**

_Life has taught me that respect, caring and love must be shared, for it's only through sharing that friendships are made  
-Donna A. Favors_

"Good evening all!" Beast Boy opened his eyes to see a stout, red haired woman standing behind a podium. "Now I know this was short notice, but I'm glad to see so many of you were able to attend." The young man kept his attention on the woman speaking, terrified to look any other way but straight ahead. "As most of you already know, last year the soccer team took a devastating blow when Coach Stewart retired, and now, our current coach, has just quit the job as well."

"The soccer team is awful, I can understand why." Beast Boy overheard the rather aggressive blonde woman mutter.

"Now, I'm not going to beat around the bush any longer," the speaker said with a chipper voice. "We need a new coach otherwise the children won't be able to play!" all the women in the room began to whisper to one another, shock permeating through the room. Examining who surrounded him Beast Boy could tell that most of these women were mothers that were very active in their children's lives. If there were no more soccer team, there would be nothing for them to focus on. Suddenly, the murmuring came to a sudden halt and the young man felt their stares. "Diane, are you volunteering?" the stout woman questioned, relief present in her tone.

"Oh God no!" Beast Boy jumped slightly when he heard the blonde next to him speak. "I was thinking more along the lines of a nomination…"

_'Oh no, she wouldn't,'_ the young man thought, his heart pounded furiously.

"Doctor Garfield Logan," Diane announced, taking the opportunity to wink at Beast Boy. The other women began to whisper again and Beast Boy saw Olivia take the podium.

"Diane, this isn't a nominated position. Gar will have to volunteer if he wants to be the coach," Olivia stated, her eyes narrowing when her gaze fell upon the woman. "After all, he already has enough on his plate as it is. _Mrs. Logan_ being one of those things," she reminded Diane subtly as she smiled down at Beast Boy. The woman rolled her eyes and coldly stared back up at Olivia.

"Well, it would be nice if _my_ child had the opportunity to play," she informed the group. "Unlike _some_, she actually has talent," Diane whispered so only those within earshot could hear her. Beast Boy had a feeling this was directed at Olivia and his heart began to beat faster. He did not intend on getting into the middle of anything.

The young man didn't understand the way women worked. Their feuds carried out for months and grudges would be made. Tactics formed and perfectly crafted verbal attacks slyly executed. Beast Boy was growing tenser, as he watched each woman stare the other down. He was certain one of them was going to pounce. But, to his amazement this did not happen, rather they both broke out in an eerie laughter. The young man sighed uneasily; maybe the way women worked was something he _didn't_ want to understand.

"I understand completely Diane, but it's up to Gar." Olivia eyed the young man hopefully. Beast Boy shifted in his seat. He would be going back to work soon and, although after reading through his med books things were becoming _somewhat_ clearer, coaching a soccer team would cut into his job. The women persisted to stare at him and nervously he cleared his throat.

"Um, maybe…when is practice?" Diane clapped her hands together in enthusiasm her mission was accomplished.

"Don't worry, it won't conflict with work. Practices tend to be twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays and games are usually every other Saturday." Beast Boy thought over his schedule, he got off work early for the most part, he could be the coach, but it was now all a matter of if he wanted to be. The women present at the meeting proved to him that he would have to deal with forceful mothers constantly. But, if he could fight villains on a regular basis, he could certainly deal with crazed children and their parents, how difficult could it be?

"Sure, I'll be the coach."

"Wonderful! Just come to the school's field this Tuesday! There haven't been any games yet this season, they're still practicing." Olivia grinned, "Thank you."

"No problem," Beast Boy muttered. The meeting continued on and Beast Boy didn't retain a single word. He fidgeted with his keys, playing with one he didn't notice before. The young man's mind was elsewhere. He wished he were home with Raven, he hadn't left her alone since she became ill and he was worried. He knew she would be fine, but something about him not being there to be absolutely sure, to watch over her, made him nervous.

* * *

Once the meeting had ended, Beast Boy rose from his seat and flew through the school's halls out to his moped. It was still raining out and the skies were dark. He put his helmet on and checked his watch; it was only 7:30. "Raven probably didn't eat," he muttered concerned. He sat down on his moped and pulled out his cell phone. 

"Hello?"

"Hey Rae…it's me."

"Don't call me that." Beast Boy heard Raven sigh and he grinned.

"Whatever, the meetings over."

"I would assume so, since you're calling." There was a silence; Beast Boy didn't know whether or not he wanted to tell her about being the new soccer coach.

"Um, did you eat dinner yet?"

"No."

"Oh, well do you want me to pick something up?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, what do you want?"

"I don't know Raven, I'm asking you." It was Beast Boy's turn to sigh. He knew that whatever he chose, his wife would not want. He didn't want to be the one to make the decision.

"Well, just surprise me," the young woman said in a dry tone, "I don't really care."

"Fine, I'll see you soon." Beast Boy was about to hang up when he heard Raven's voice call him.

"Beast Boy wait!"

"What?"

"Just…be careful coming home, the roads are really wet." The young man heard the worry in her voice and smiled.

"Aw, so you really _do_ care?"

"Shut up and don't die. It would be a hassle to deal with." With those parting words, Raven hung up and Beast Boy put his phone away. He put his key in the ignition and sped off in the direction of Chinatown. The streets were congested with cars trying to hurry their way home. Beast Boy sighed, it would be midnight by the time he got the food and back to the apartment if he waited in the traffic. After half an hour, the young man finally spotted Raven's car parked outside their building and pulled over. He looked around for a nearby parking space, but there wasn't one. Suddenly, his mind went back to his keys, he looked down and saw the extra one.

"It must be to Rae's car," he muttered hopefully and sure enough, it did. With a satisfied smile, the young man opened the trunk and put his moped in. His small bit of luck vanished and almost as if on cue, small bits of hail began to fall with the increasingly heavy rain. He ran for the sidewalk and took refuge within the nearest restaurant.

Beast Boy smelled the warm food being cooked and looked around. "Oh my God," he said. The young man's jaw nearly hit the floor. He was inside the restaurant that he pegged as the one place he would never set foot in. Beast Boy shuddered as his emerald eyes met the black beady ones of the rabbits hanging upside down in the front window.

"Welcome to Zen Garden. Are you eating in or is it to-go?" A pretty girl asked Beast Boy.

"I don't think either," he mumbled sticking his hands in his pockets. The young man was about to leave when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going boy? Come eat with us tonight!" Beast Boy turned to see a tall, sturdy Chinese man with jet-black hair and a kind face smiling down at him.

"I really can't. My wife is sick and I need to get back to her," his eyes darted over to the rabbits and then back to the man, "besides, I'm a vegetarian."

"So am I! What's your name?"

"Garfield."

"Well Garfield, my name's Don! You say your wife's sick? Well, I'll make her something tasty that'll make her feel much better!" He slapped Beast Boy on the back. "Come, follow me!" Don took the young man back to the bar and sat him down. He disappeared behind the kitchen doors and reemerged moments later. "They're fixing you and your wife's food as we speak. Have a drink on the house while you wait," Don offered.

"No thanks," Beast Boy shook his head and feigned a smile, his eyes once again drifted off towards the rabbits.

"I can see you're wondering about the rabbits."

"Why do you think that?"

"You're eyes haven't left them since you first stepped in here!" Don laughed heartily, Beast Boy blushed.

"How are you a vegetarian if you have _those_ hanging around?" The young man noticed Don grimace.

"I'm a vegetarian, but my cousin isn't. About two years ago he offered to help me run the place, I let him thinking it'd give me some time to relax, it didn't. Up went the rabbits," he said with anger, "It was never strictly vegetarian here. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to turn a profit, but he took it too far with those poor animals."

"Why don't you do something about it? It's your restaurant."

"Oh no I couldn't! He'd just laugh at me and remind me of all the time he's invested in turning my once _humble eatery_, as he likes to call it, into one of the best restaurants in town! Which is a complete lie! It was already one of the best and I was the one that did that," Don smiled proudly. Beast Boy shared in his smile and both men continued to talk. The young man found that Don's kindness was genuine; he was a relieved to be talking to such a nice man after being trapped in a PTA meeting with those scary women. "Oh!" Don exclaimed, "We spent all this time talking, I'm keeping you from your wife! I'm sure your food's done, let me go check."

"Alright." Beast Boy was glad he gave the restaurant a chance. It was definitely not what he imagined. The one-room establishment was bright and colorful, with rich crimson walls and light wood floors. People sat at nice clean tables conversing and laughing over plates of delicious looking food. The dead rabbits were the only marring of the otherwise aesthetically pleasing atmosphere.

Staring into space, Beast Boy found himself looking at Zen Garden's "celebrity wall." There were pictures of famous people who eat at the restaurant. He glanced over the photographs without much consideration. Most of the celebrities were ones he did not know. Old singers from the sixties, famous actors and actresses from movies Beast Boy probably never hear of. But immediately his eyes fell on a photograph of a celebrity he did recognize, however he did not know them from some television show or movie, rather from real life. It was of Cyborg sitting at one of the many white clothed tables and Don with his arm slung over his shoulders. Cyborg was grinning widely, in front of him was a heaping plate of dumplings and rice. "Best service and best dumplings around! –Cyborg," Beast Boy read aloud in astonishment. At that moment Don came out holding two large bags of food. "Don, you know Cyborg?"

"Of course, he comes in all the time! Great guy!" Don placed the bags on the bar and smiled. Still amazed, Beast Boy forgot that he had to pay the man. He found his wallet and began leafing through the bills.

"Thanks, um how much?"

"It's free son! Let's call it the…_new customer_ discount!" The man laughed. "Where do you live, I can get someone to help you with these, they're pretty heavy," he said motioning to the bags.

"Just upstairs."

"Really? I've never seen you in here before! Be sure to come back when your wife's better, I'd love to meet the young lady!"

"Sure, I will. Nice meeting you Don. Thanks for the food!"

"Anytime Garfield!" Beast Boy left the restaurant with a smile on his face, and it wasn't only because he got free food. He now had a fresh opportunity to see Cyborg, his best friend. The young man missed him. Life was just not the same without him. _'He could help us!'_ Beast Boy thought adding more spring to his step, '_If we sat him down and explained it to him, he would listen!'_ The young man ran all the way up the stairs and down the hallway, flinging open the door to the apartment. "RAVEN!"

"You don't need to shout, I'm right here." He saw Raven sitting on the couch, a book in hand. The young man placed the bags of food on the table and sat down next to her taking the book away. "What are you doing?" asked Raven, staring at her husband crossly.

"Guess what!" Beast Boy's eyes were sparkling. The young man told her about the restaurant and how he judged too quickly and then got to the subject of Cyborg's picture. "He's there all the time Rae!" Beast Boy said out of breath, waiting for Raven's response.

"Beast Boy, he doesn't know you."

"He'll remember me if I talk to him," Beast Boy said, "I know he will!" Raven put a hand on the young man's shoulder, he looked at her alarmed.

"Please don't Beast Boy."

"If we explained everything to him, he could help us!"

"We tried that already."

"Well we didn't try hard enough!" Beast Boy shrugged Raven's hand off his shoulder and stood up. "Besides, I wouldn't listen to us if we just stormed up to the Tower either."

"This isn't a good idea."

"Why not?" The young man stared his wife in the eyes. Raven saw the determination that lit his face, she sighed heavily.

"Because, you'll be devastated if he doesn't recognize you…Beast Boy, I don't want you getting hurt," Raven whispered. She tore her cerulean eyes away from his and concentrated on her wedding band, twisting it around her finger. She read the Creole words that were inscribed on her ring to herself, '_Vle Ajamè Damou Pou Ajamè_.'

Beast Boy sat back down and began unpacking the food in silence. Deep down he knew Raven was right, that he shouldn't ask Cyborg for help; after all Cyborg wouldn't remember his friend. But that didn't mean Beast Boy couldn't _become_ his friend. With fresh hope, Beast Boy turned to his wife with a wide smile. "It looks like Don made some soup for you," he said, "and noodles!"

"Sounds good." Raven stopped fidgeting with her ring and looked up at her husband she knew he was plotting something, but she couldn't figure it out.

"Raven, what do the rings say? I can't read Creole and they didn't have a translation online."

"Online? Were you doing research?" The young woman asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I? _You_ were doing research."

"I'm just surprised…sorry."

"I'm full of surprises." Beast Boy winked. Raven felt a small smile grace her lips, but as soon as it was there it had disappeared. "Tell me what it means."

"It means, desire forever, love each other forever."

"Oh." He cleared his throat. The young man noticed Raven's flushed face and knew his was probably twice as red. "Hey, could you do me a favor?" Beast Boy asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Sure, what?"

"Could you help me study, like quiz me or something? I think I'm understanding some of it better, but I think I need some help."

"Of course."

"Really? Good, hang on lemme get my books!" Beast Boy jumped back up to his feet and ran over to the computer desk where he left his books and notes. "Here, just go through the it and ask me about the terms."

"Um alright," Raven scanned the page and picked a highlighted word at random, "What's sarcoma mean?"

"Easy! It's a tumor formed from connective tissue cells!"

"Yes, good job," the young woman smiled. She asked him to define more terms and soon moved on to questions she found in the back of the book. Raven was surprised at how much Beast Boy knew. He had been studying hard. The night sped on, neither one realizing how late it was.

"Oh my God, it's 2:30!" Beast Boy said in astonishment. "We should probably go to sleep."

"You're right," Raven agreed closing the large book that was sitting on her lap, "We can study more tomorrow if you want."

"Are you sure? You don't have to help." The young man stood and began picking up the leftover bags of food to refrigerate.

"I don't mind."

"Thanks." Once Beast Boy was finished cleaning, he extended a hand to his wife, which she gladly took, for support. They made their way into the bedroom; Raven slowly undid the covers and carefully lay down in the bed while Beast Boy changed into his pajamas in the bathroom. The young woman made sure the 'pillow wall' was sturdy before turning on her side and staring out the window, it was still raining. Raven heard the door open and immediately closed her eyes so that Beast Boy didn't know she was still awake.

The young man tiptoed over to the window and shut the curtains. He turned to see Raven already sound asleep. A lopsided grin fell upon his lips as he walked over to her and pushed the black hair away from her face. He stared at her for a moment's time. Beast Boy liked looking after Raven, he liked being able to help her when she required his assistance. He enjoyed being needed, but more so he enjoyed being needed by _her_.

Beast Boy blushed as this thought raced through his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to erase these ideas and decided the only reason he felt this way was because he was finally able to prove that he was responsible. "See you in the morning Rae," he whispered softly in her ear. Yet he did not make any motion to move away from her. Without thought, Beast Boy kissed Raven's forehead lightly, lingering only for a second before realizing what he had done. He placed his fingers to his lips and hurried over to his side of the bed. His entire body was shaking; he had no idea why he did that. The young man closed his emerald eyes tightly trying to pretend like it didn't happen. But a tingling sensation rested on his lips, and he knew that would be impossible.

* * *

Woot! Well, I hope this was worth the wait! Once again, I had a hard time writing the chapter, so I hope it came out all right. I apologize (for the millionth time) that I haven't updated in forever! Expect regular updates again, now that I'm back! I missed this story so much! Yes, and "Pygmalion" will be worked on…once I get some of these chapters out of my system! I love all of you guys so much, thanks so much for your kind words! I really appreciate all the reviews!  
XOXO,  
Meg 


	10. Mending the Broken

Yep, I know. It's been a while. But this chapter should make up for my tardiness! It is pretty long and packed! So I'm not going to bother with a long Author's Note since it's no big deal! I hope you all enjoy!  
XOXO,  
Meg

This chapter is dedicated to **SxStringSamurai13** and **PanamaRoxMySox **for helping out immensely, and **Blondi89** for being terrific and such a kind reader and reviewer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, DC does.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Mending the Broken**

…_Human relationships, which are an extract of life, are the most changeable of all, rising and falling, from minute to minute, and lovers are those whose relationships and contact no one moment resembles another._

-Ranier Maria Rilke, _Letters to a Young Poet_

Raven traced a flower on the pillowcase with her finger. Her eyes were heavy with sleep but her mind was restless. Beast Boy had kissed her. It was nothing to mull over. He didn't sweep her up in his arms. It was a simple, friendly goodnight kiss. Yet she couldn't stop thinking about it. _'Just stop!'_ she flipped over on her side and glared at the clock. The red numbers glared back at her, it was only 4:52. Raven groaned and closed her cerulean eyes. Thoughts she knew she should not be having flashed through her head and she immediately opened them and stared dazedly into the darkness of the room.

A loud ringing erupted from the living room and without much thought to her still somewhat aching body Raven shot out of the bed and scampered down the hallway finding something to keep herself busy with. Who could be calling at this hour, she didn't know but she silently thanked them before picking up the phone. They had saved her from any more unnecessary harping.

"Hello?"

"Is Doctor Logan available?" an important and urgent voice asked.

"Um, hang on just a second." Raven rushed back to the bedroom and hesitated slightly before shaking him from his slumber. "Beast Boy, wake up." He wiggled around momentarily before mumbling something and settling back into sleep. The young woman rolled her eyes and shoved him harder. "Get up! There's someone on the phone for you! It sounds like your work!"

"W-what?" he managed to ask groggily. Beast Boy rubbed his eyes and stared up at Raven who's own eyes were fixed on the wall behind him.

"There is a phone call for you!"

"Oh!" Now somewhat more alert, Beast Boy crawled out from under the layers of blankets and staggered down the hall into the living room. The receiver was waiting patiently for him on the end table. He picked it up with caution, preparing for the worst. "This is Bea—the um, Doctor…Doctor Logan."

"I apologize for waking you up sonny and I know this is your vacation," a strong voice that could only belong to his boss, Dr. Griffin, "We need you immediately. Just get down here now, I'll explain when you arrive."

"Okay, I'm on my way." He hung up the phone and stormed into the bedroom. Raven was sitting on the edge of the bed, concentrating on her folded hands. "They need me at work. It sounds serious." Beast Boy paid no attention to the fact that Raven was still in the bedroom as he hastily changed into a long sleeved button down shirt, and gray slacks. He threw his tie on carelessly and glanced over at his wife noticing that she hadn't protested about him changing in the same room she was occupying, and that she hadn't even made any effort to move from her spot. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just get to work."

"Fine…um, I'll see you later. I don't know when I'm going to get back."

"Okay."

"Yeah, bye," Beast Boy muttered grabbing his keys and wallet and heading out the bedroom door. He could tell something was wrong with Raven, but he had no time to push the subject this morning. He would bother her about it later.

Now was not the time to worry about home life, Beast Boy knew that there was something wrong at work, presumably an animal in serious trouble. He looked down at the wedding ring on his finger as he revved up his moped. The young man hated that Raven was upset about something and he couldn't do anything to help at the moment. He sighed deeply as he kicked off the ground at flew down the quiet early morning streets towards the veterinarians' office.

Beast Boy entered the office, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He spotted Dr. Griffin standing by the receptionist's desk, waiting for him. "Doctor Griffin."

"Gar! Hurry on back!" The older man began immediately, relaying all the details to Beast Boy. "We got a puppy Golden Retriever, Ginger. She's the Brewer's dog, seven months old. Got into a nasty fight with a possum. So far we know of two broken ribs, and various bite and scratch wounds. The dog needs to be checked out for rabies and other diseases. She needs stitches and her broken bones mended. Jason and Katherine are already in there along with a few nurses. I'll be back in there too. Get scrubbed up Gar, we need you!"

Beast Boy nodded and ran back to the sink to scrub his hands clean. All the while he was fighting the urge to cry. The young man was frightened, he knew when he got the phone call that there would be an injured animal, but being forewarned did not make the situation any easier for him. Holding his breath he put on his gloves and coat and walked into the back room. He heard the sounds of pained howling and saw Jason and Katherine, another veterinarian, working tirelessly on the poor creature. Blood spattered their white coats like red paint and their eyes were unblinking as they worked. Beast Boy spotted Annie, the nurse who had helped him countless times, running around grabbing syringes and sterilizing tools.

"Doctor Logan! We need you to start stitching up wounds by the left eye socket. After that proceed to the flank and base of the tail," Jason shouted over the dog's cries, "Just…if you see a problem. Try to fix it!" Beast Boy nodded and gathered his courage. He had to help save this dog this was his only concern.

* * *

The apartment was unusually quiet. After a few hours of light, agitated sleep the young woman woke to an empty bed and looked over at the clock. It was 7:30. Her thoughts traveled to Beast Boy. She hoped that everything was all right. Raven knew it was an understatement to say that Beast Boy was close to animals, half the time she saw him if he wasn't physically an animal, he was acting like one. Him seeing one seriously sick or hurt would be distressing. She pulled herself out of bed, wandered into the living room, and sat down on the sofa. Raven turned on the television and watched the news, surreptitiously stealing glances at the soundless telephone. She wanted Beast Boy to call, but she dreaded talking to him. It was an uncomfortable situation, after his impromptu kiss last night, she didn't know how to act. She knew he thought she was sleeping, but Raven couldn't pretend that she didn't know it happened. 

The phone rang for the second time that morning. Hesitation swam through her as her shaky pale hand hovered over the receiver. After the fifth ring she finally picked up. "Hello?"

"Raven? It's Julia Polanski." Raven vaguely remembered the name; Julia was Glen View Academy's principal.

"Oh! Hello Ms. Polanski."

"How are you feeling dear?" The woman's warm tone seemed genuinely concerned.

"Much better, thank you. I think I'll be able to come back Monday."  
"Really? Terrific!" There was a slight pause before she continued to speak. "Do you think you could come in today? Not to work, just to come in and check up on your class. Lucy has informed me that they have a surprise planned for you."

"Oh? A surprise?" she asked nervously. The last surprise she received from her students landed her in the hospital.

"Yes, Lucy said that it would be ready around eleven or so."

"Alright."

"Good to hear you're feeling better. Take care Raven."  
"You too." Raven hung up the phone and ran her fingers through her dark hair. Shuffling her feet she made her way into the kitchen in search of breakfast and something to help keep her mind from wandering.

* * *

"Good job Gar. You really came through today, you should be proud of yourself." Dr. Griffin patted the young man's shoulder proudly. Beast Boy grinned down at his hands. They were the hands of someone who saved a life. Ginger was fine, she didn't die, and he helped. He had saved lives before, innumerable times, but he usually had his powers to thank for that. But today, he only relied on his intelligence and what little he had taught himself from books. This was the first time, in a long time that he truly felt independent. It was a rush for him to realize that he was capable of being strong even without his "special talents." 

Ginger stared up at him, her rusty tail swaying back and forth weakly in silent gratitude. "Thank you for saving my Ginger," a small boy with tired blue eyes whispered shyly to the three doctors.

"Happy to be of help!" Jason grinned a 100-watt smile and ruffled the boy's brown hair. "Now you should probably get some sleep." The young child toddled off into his waiting mother's embrace.

"When will we be able to pick her up?" the father asked.

"Probably tomorrow, she seems to be responding nicely to the medication," Jason said confidently as he shook the man's hand. Both parents nodded in gratitude and quietly vacated the veterinarians' office, son in tow. When they were gone, Jason turned to Beast Boy and laughed. "Good job Gar!"

"Thanks."

"Are you staying the rest of the day?" he asked, his voice thick with curiosity.

"Um, I can if you need me." Beast Boy smiled, after helping save Ginger his confidence in his work had risen dramatically.

"We can always use you Gar."

"Okay." The two took Ginger into the back room and put her in a comfortable cage lined with blankets and began to prepare for their next patients.

"So, how's Raven been?" Jason questioned nonchalantly.

"She's getting better," Beast Boy said as he examined the file of a tabby cat.

"Good, I was going to stop by today."

"Um, why?"

"You know, just to check up and everything." Beast Boy looked up from what he was doing and raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Just concerned." Jason shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on the young man. Beast Boy stared at the back of his head confused. His indifference seemed strained.

"Oh okay." Beast Boy left the back room puzzled, he felt anger bubbling at the base of his spine slowly moving up and spreading itself through the rest of his body. But he didn't know where it was coming from. Quickly he shook away the feeling and continued down the hall towards the front desk, forgetting about his suspicions, opting to throw himself into his work.

* * *

"Mrs. Logan! Mrs. Logan!" Red-faced children in identical school uniforms assaulted Raven with hugs the moment she walked through the doorway. 

"They just had their recess," a tired looking Lucy announced as if to justify their blotchy faces, and sweaty hands.

"Oh, um…did you have fun?" Raven asked putting on an awkward smile. Even after weeks of not having powers the young woman still forgot that she was free to be emotional. All these years of maintaining a stoic presence, was hard to undo.

"Yes! I played on the monkey bars—"

"Me and Leo had a sand fight—"

"We played Titans!" A young boy stated proudly puffing out his chest. A young girl and boy stood near him looking equally as pleased.

"Really? Sounds like fun," Raven whispered sadly. The little boy's joy of pretending to be a Titan made her miss the team. She wondered curiously, if out there somewhere, there was a little girl imitating her. But that thought quickly disappeared when she remembered no one in this world knew of her and Beast Boy's association with the Titans.

"It was!"

"Mrs. Logan! We got a surprise for you!" Tiny hands pushed her towards the table in the middle of the room and sat her down at one of their small and uncomfortable chair. "Close your eyes!" Raven looked up at Lucy, panic in the young woman's gaze. Lucy reassured her with a small nod and Raven closed her eyes. There was a small amount of shuffling feet and many giggles coming from the children around her.

"Open them!" they shouted collectively. Sitting in front of her on the table was a two-tiered cake, that was decorated with sloppy chocolate frosting and pink sprinkles. "We hope you feel better Mrs. Logan!" The children sang out as if rehearsed. Raven looked up from the cake and at her eager students' faces. Feelings of frustration and impatience immediately washed away and were replaced with those of love and genuine care. She felt grateful for them and her once awkward smile developed into a large grin.

"Thank you so much!"

"Eat some! Eat some! Eat some!" the children chanted. Raven took a fork from Lucy and carefully extracted a small bite's worth from the large lump cake. Hesitantly she brought the fork up to her lips and tasted it. Surprisingly, it did not kill her. She knew she had to thank Lucy for that later, since she was obviously the one who baked it, the children's input must have been in the decorating only.

"It's good," she said smiling. "Have some." With her consent the children dive-bombed the cake, something they clearly had been waiting to do all morning.

"Children! Take some napkins and forks!" Lucy attempted a disciplinary tone but could not keep the laughter from her voice. Raven joined in, hiding her amusement behind her hand. "You would think their parents taught them manners," the older of the two women sighed.

Once the students were clean and stuffed with cake, Raven said her goodbye to her class and to Lucy, promising her return on Monday. Out in the hallway, the young woman breathed a sigh of relief, and placed a hand to her head. "I wonder if Beast Boy has any animal sedatives, I'll need daily injections to make it through _that_ everyday," she muttered. But her complaints were no longer out of irritation, but rather necessity. Their small act of kindness and their cute pudgy faces were starting to get to her and Raven needed to remind herself that she and children simply do not mix.

"Well hello their _Mrs. Logan_!" Raven turned around to see a tall, blonde woman clad in a pair of tight fitting jeans and a tank top looming over her. "How are you feeling dear?"

"Better, thanks."

"How's the husband? Last night was definitely a _hard_ one for him," she said with a wicked smile dancing across her ruby lips.

"Excuse me?"

"The PTA meeting hun!" the woman laughed lightly before proceeding to ramble, "Ah, double entendre's can get you if you aren't _careful_. I'm sure your husband would _never _dream of being unfaithful. Although, if he ever did _I'd_ be the first to know."  
"What?" The young woman folded her arms over her chest, jealousy surging in the pit of her stomach.

"Gossip travel's fast at Glen View Academy and I'm always the first ear to hear!" Raven stared at the woman crossly but she did not seem to notice as she continued to carry on talking. "So, is he excited to be the new soccer coach?"

"Soccer coach?"

"Oh! He didn't tell you?"

"He did. I just seemed to have had a memory lapse," Raven lied.

"Oh, okay."

"He's doing fine. Really excited."

"Terrific! I'm always at practices and games, it'll be great to see some fresh meat taking to the field!" she raised a threatening eyebrow, "you know after all these _old _men."

"Sure. I have to go."  
"Well, nice seeing you Mrs. Logan."

"Goodbye." Raven scurried down the vacant halls of Glen View Academy forcing her tears to stay locked behind her eyelashes. It wasn't until she found herself safe in her car that she let them roll down her cheeks. She was infuriated, Beast Boy not informing her of his new position as soccer coach or that devious blonde made her truly upset. She slammed her hands against the steering wheel out of aggravation. She hated crying, it wasn't something she did very often nor did she do it well. Raven laughed bitterly, silently chastising herself for crying over something so trivial. The great control she harbored over her emotions kicked in and although her anger was still in check, her tears lasted only a few more seconds, within a moments time her face was clear of any sign that they were even there at all.

* * *

"So Gar, any plans for tonight?" 

"I don't think so."

"Want to go out to dinner with Mia and me?"

"Me?"  
"Well, you _and_ Raven. A double date, even though you two are already married. You guys need to get out more!" Until Jason mentioned this Beast Boy didn't realize that although he was married to Raven, he had never actually _dated _her. This would be their first date, the situation was completely backwards and the young man could not help but feel his heart rise into his throat at this realization.

"I…um, okay."

"Cool! We've wanted to check this place out for a while, it's supposed to be really nice…one of those jacket required type of establishments. We'll swing by and pick you guys up, how's 7:00ish?"

"Sounds good."

"Yeah, I'm sure you and Raven will love Mia. We've been dating for a few months now." Beast Boy's ears perked at this. A wave of relief washed over him, the prospect of meeting Jason's _girlfriend_ made him welcome the idea of going out to dinner with him tonight.

Beast Boy arrived home, completely overcome with exhaustion. He had only gotten three hours of sleep. The young man took off his helmet, undid his tie and lazily shuffled into the bedroom. To his surprise, he saw Raven lying on her side facing the window. At first he thought that maybe she had never left, but upon further inspection he noticed that she wasn't wearing her pajamas, but rather regular clothes. Something he had not seen her in for weeks. "Hey Rae."

"It's Ra_ven_," she growled, not moving from her position to face him.

"Sorry," he muttered sitting on the edge of the bed and kicking off his shoes. He could tell Raven was angry about something. It was different from earlier that morning, before she sad, but now, he knew she was mad. "Raven, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not five years old Beast Boy, I know when there's something wrong with me and when there isn't," Raven snapped. Beast Boy lay down on the opposite side of the pillow wall and stared at the ceiling. The young man had every reason to believe that _he _was the reason she was irate.

"Jason invited us out to dinner tonight with him and his girlfriend."

"I don't want to go."

"C'mon Raven! You haven't been out in weeks!" Raven did not respond, opting to let him think this. She did not want to tell him what was upsetting her she was too embarrassed, on top of the peculiar "goodnight kiss" her mind was stuck on thoughts of the devilish woman she had the misfortune of meeting, and she did not want Beast Boy to know how heavy of an impact his actions had on her.

After weighing the pros and cons of going out to dinner with Beast Boy and two other people Raven came to the conclusion that it would be a better situation. If their were others around, Beast Boy would not have the opportunity to question her on why she was mad at him.

"Fine."

"He said he'd come get us around seven. Oh, and he said it's nice…so I guess that means it's fancy." Raven's sigh was her only response. Carefully, Beast Boy looked over the pillow wall to see that she had her eyes closed. Taking his cues from his wife, the young man yawned and collapsed on to his own pillow, relinquishing all control he had over his body to the sweet whispers of sleep.

"Beast Boy, it's 6:30. I think you should get ready." Beast Boy heard Raven's quiet voice in his ear. Slowly he opened his emerald eyes to see Raven rushing back and forth between the bathroom and dresser. She was wearing a lace black skirt that danced just above her knees, a silk royal blue blouse, and black heels. Her hair was pulled back in a simple bun and she had very little makeup on. A scowl formed on her lips as she fidgeted with the blouse.

"You look very nice Raven."

"Thank you," she replied curtly as she put on a pair of silver earrings. Without anything else to say Beast Boy grabbed a nice shirt and tie from the closet. He was just going to put on a different shirt but looking down at the state of his pants, he decided it would be best to change them as well. Quickly he grabbed a new pair of slacks and a matching jacket and disappeared into the bathroom.

When he was finished getting ready, Beast Boy found Raven sitting on the couch reading a book. "What're you reading?" He asked in an attempt to make conversation. Raven held up the book for the young man to read the cover. "_Letters To A Young Poet_. I've never heard of it."

"For some reason that doesn't surprise me," Raven stated coldly as she continued to read. Beast Boy stared at her for half a second, enveloped in uncertainty over her mood. But before he could give it anymore thought, the buzzer rang out around the apartment signifying the arrival of Jason.

"We'll be right down," Beast Boy said pushing the button on the intercom.

"Alright, see you soon!"

"Ready?"

"I guess so," Raven placed the book on the coffee table and walked out the door, completely ignoring Beast Boy. The young man locked up behind them and hurried down the stairs with his wife.

Outside they saw Jason with his arm around a tall, statuesque woman. Her skin glowed radiantly and her ebony eyes peered out through thick, long lashes. The woman's lips were stained a devil's red and her black hair was coiled neatly atop her head. Her dress was black silk and short, accompanied by knee high boots. Raven drank in her appearance skeptically, debating on whether or not this woman was Jason's actual girlfriend or a hired escort.

"Hey Gar." Jason shook the young man's hand and smiled at Raven. "I hope you're feeling better."

"I am, thank you."

"That's good to hear." Jason moved between Raven and Beast Boy and kissed her on the cheek, lingering a little longer than what was deemed appropriate. "This is my girlfriend, Mia."

"It's so nice to meet you," Mia said in a French accent, kissing Raven on both cheeks and then proceeding to do the same to Beast Boy. The young man felt his cheeks redden unwillingly. He chanced a glance in Raven's direction and noticed that she was staring at him out of the corner of her eye. Pleadingly with his emerald eyes, he tried to remind her that they were husband and wife, and for the sake of keeping the façade, had to make their marriage look convincing.

The restaurant was large and dimly lit, and the atmosphere was almost foreboding. It was quite trendy, packed with young people dressed to the nines. The two couples sat opposite each other at a table near the back. They would be surrounded by darkness had it not been for the three small candles who's lights danced delicately, casting their shadows upon the cold stonewalls. If it weren't for the stained glass windows, it would have been easy to mistake the establishment for a dungeon. Raven closed her eyes taking in the pianist's haunting rendition of "Danse Macabre" wishing she were somewhere else.

"This place used to be a church. Instead of tearing it down, they gutted the whole place and turned it into this spooky themed, Gothic restaurant," Jason explained. Beast Boy nodded distantly, his mind somewhere else.

"So Raven, vat is it dat you do?" Mia questioned, dragging the young woman back from her mental absence.

"I'm a teacher."

"Oh! 'Ow I love zee children!" she squealed, "You must love children too, yes?"

"Um, yes."

"_I_, myself, am a model. I vas on the cover—"

"Yes you are honey," Jason interrupted carelessly, "So, wine for the table?"

Beast Boy looked at Raven who stared back just as uncertain. Neither knew what to do, both were still technically underage and had never really had much alcohol. "Sure, why not," Beast Boy said, swallowing nervously as if it were still illegal.

"Great, how about a nice cabernet."

"Cabaret sounds great," Beast Boy agreed nervously. Jason laughed loudly and the young man raised an eyebrow.

"I forget how funny you are sometimes Gar, you need to loosen up more at work." Before he could respond, the server came and Jason ordered a bottle of the restaurants finest wine, all the while his eyes kept slipping from the servers and were instead finding themselves focusing in on Raven's cerulean ones. The young woman, somewhat startled, opted to gaze down at the white tablecloth. She felt a blush creeping across her cheeks.

"So, 'ow long 'ave you two been married?" Both Raven and Beast Boy looked at each other, neither one knew the answer to this question. The young man smiled slightly and turned to Mia.

"Too long," he laughed somewhat forced, putting an arm around his wife. Raven's blush grew deeper. Just as soon as his arm was there, it was gone and Raven looked up from the tablecloth to see that Jason's brown eyes were still fixated on her.

"Aw, I remember when you two met. God, were you nervous Gar."

"I vant to 'ere zis story," Mia proclaimed eager to listen.

"Well, Gar was my roommate junior year of college. I was twenty and you were what?Fifteen, sixteen yeah, I think sixteen or so. Such a genius, but what a nerd," Jason laughed. Beast Boy sat listening, completely bowled over by the fact that this other "Gar" was sixteen and a junior in _college_. He looked over at Raven and saw that she was equally as surprised. "Anyway, I was seeing this freshmen girl at the time, I think her name was Jessica. Her and Raven were friends. One night, she brought Raven to a party. I felt bad since Jessica just sort of left her alone. So, being the guy that _I_ am, I made Gar talk to her. He wasn't too fond of the idea, being somewhat socially awkward. After all, Raven is pretty intimidating." Jason placed a hand on Raven's and slyly stroked the inside of her palm with his thumb. Raven attempted to politely remove her hand from his, but he held it firmly in place. "I have no idea how Gar was lucky enough to marry _you_." The young woman's eyes widened. Something was clearly wrong in his tone, and up until now he hadn't directed any particular part of the story at either Beast Boy or her.

"It is because it vas true love!" Mia said in a whimsical voice. Jason removed his hand from Raven's, who quickly placed hers in her lap, and kissed his girlfriend's cheek.

"Maybe," he whispered. Beast Boy placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Damn Gar, we've been friends for such a long time now."

"Too long," Beast Boy responded without skipping a beat. However, this time there was now laughter in his tone and his expression was completely void of any emotion.

He rubbed Raven's shoulder soothingly, he could tell she felt uncomfortable but there was little that he could do. After all, Jason was supposedly his _best friend_ and he needed his help at work. Not to mention the fact that he was his boss's son.

The possibility of overreacting was also there. Jason had known both him and Raven for quite some time. What Beast Boy finds suspicious could be what Jason finds harmless. _'He does have a girlfriend.'_ The young man thought trying to convince himself. He sighed deeply and slowly removed his hand from Raven's shoulder. Beast Boy watched Jason interact with Mia: how lovingly he caressed her hands, the tender kisses he bestowed upon her cheek and lips. This was enough reassurance to allow him to put his thoughts to bed and force himself into his typical jovial mood.

He looked at Raven and noticed the stoniness of her face. Her uninspiring smile and dull eyes were about as real as those of a porcelain doll. He collected one of her hands in his and held it encouragingly. There was little he could do about Jason, but he knew that he would seek to mend Raven until she was no longer broken.

* * *

…Well, I hope that was enjoyable! I really do, I worked hard on this chapter…into the wee hours of the morning (well 1:00). Hah, I hope it was awesome. The quote I used is from the book Raven was reading…which I highly recommend Rilke is amazing! Anyway, Both Raven and Beast Boy were just getting comfortable, and now all these obstacles are in front of them! Diane _and _Jason. Yeesh and Jason's back with a vengeance a la _Friday the 13th_—er, hopefully he doesn't have a machete otherwise this story could take a serious turn for the bizarre! Anyway, enough of my weirdness…hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. College applications suck and so does math. I _loathe_ math. But I _love_ you guys! Thanks for reading! Please review!  
XOXO,  
Meg 


	11. The Gradual Fall

Hey! I know I'm late…very late. No excuse, and I won't ramble. I hope this chapter makes up for my absence. Please read and review! Love you!

XOXO,

Meg

This chapter is dedicated to **C DeMikols** for being so encouraging,**PamelaRoxMySox** for helping out and **SxStrngSamurai13** for ALWAYS helping!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Teen Titans, DC does.

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Gradual Fall**

_So fall asleep love, loved by me…for I know love, I am loved by thee._

_-Robert Browning_

Children's laughter and the sounds of hushed whispers danced around the dark classroom. It was naptime. Raven walked around the room, avoiding wriggling children on their tiny blue mats, to turn on the "soothing" music that was requested by the PTA and close the blinds. Raven paused at the window. Clouds were forming and the young woman prayed for rain. Beast Boy was starting his position as soccer coach that day, and she was certainly not anticipating his arrival. Work had been a pleasant break from staying away from her husband, the past few days were filled with awkward silences and impromptu departures.

A quiet knock on the door roused the young woman from her thoughts. She saw Olivia's poised face staring at her through the foggy glass. Carefully, she walked across the classroom and over to the door. "Hello Olivia," Raven whispered letting herself out into the hallway.

"Hi Raven, I'm glad to see you're looking well."

"Thank you."

"I came by to see if you needed any help with the students, I made cookies." Olivia held up a plate of fresh cookies wrapped in pink cellophane and tied with a perfect bow.

"Oh," Raven said surprised the woman handed her the plate enthusiastically. "They're napping right now."

"Well, afterwards. Oh yes, and there are a variety of cookies along with a list of which children are allergic to what. Just follow the list and hopefully none of them will swell up," she said earnestly.

"Um thanks." She smiled thoughtfully.

"Gar starts as coach today," Olivia said abruptly, her eyebrow raised. "Are you ready?"

"Ready?"

"Your husband is going to get a lot of attention."

"What do you mean?" Raven had a feeling that it had something to do with the perky blonde woman that approached her the other day. Olivia looked at her with wide eyes and shook her head.

"Well, Diane will be there no doubt. After all, she was quite coquettish at the meeting. She has been saying that your marriage is on the rocks."

"What?"

"She's up to something Raven," Olivia warned. Raven felt ill, she had never been in a situation such as this before.

"Up to something?"

"Raven, I would have to tally her total of homes ruined to about six or seven," Olivia whispered heatedly. "Don't let her have the opportunity to worm her way in. I know your husband would never cheat, but that isn't assurance enough when someone like Diane is involved! You have to do something!"

"What Olivia, do you suggest that I do?' Raven asked trying to keep the panic from her voice. She was treading foreign waters and needed advice from what she assumed was a seasoned vet.

"Women are constantly playing games, there are rules! Remember when you were in high school, how awful and conniving those girls were?"

"Um…I was home schooled," she lied.

"Oh, well...just be more of a wife, make your presence known," Olivia saw the confusion on Raven's face and elaborated, "You can't just sit in the background. Go to the practices, smile, and don't be afraid to show affection. Otherwise, she'll persist in making Gar her plaything."

"Terrific," Raven muttered sarcastically. Olivia put a hand on the young woman's shoulder and smiled warmly.

"It'll be fine, Gar loves you. It's Diane that will be the problem." Raven feigned a smile to appease Olivia's reassuring words. She was certain that Beast Boy did not love her, at least not in the way her friend believed. Olivia let Raven return to her thoughts, however she had more to ruminate and her hopes for a rained out practice mounted.

* * *

The sun shone down brightly on Beast Boy as he stepped out onto the pitch. It was a fairly large soccer field with two metal goals standing at opposing ends. He stood near the bleachers surrounded by a stack bright orange cones and a large mesh bag filled with perfectly round soccer balls. He checked his watch just as the bell rang out its glory indicating the end of the school day. Tiny boys and girls rushed from the school doors and out onto the playground. They came tumbling towards the field with unbridled exuberance. Beast Boy's heartbeat quickened and his palms grew sweaty. It was not the children that frightened him, but their mothers.

Beast Boy blew on the silver whistle the school had given him and gathered all the children around him. Some looked all too excited to be there and ready to play, others seemed to be there only to appease their parents. "Hello…kids, I'm…well I guess I'm Coach Logan."

"You're Mrs. Logan's husband!" The small blond boy Beast Boy had come to know as Neal shouted from the bleachers where he was sitting impatiently with his mother and the other women. The children began to giggle and he felt his cheeks redden.

"Thanks Neal, well, I guess some of you might know me as that but you all look older."

"Duh! Soccer is_only_ for kids in grades fourth to sixth!" A tall boy with brown hair and eyes stated matter-of-factly. He had a splash of freckles across his nose and a tough, arrogant smile.

"And who are you?" Beast Boy asked with raised eyebrows.

"My name is Nick and I play centre forward!"

"Well, we have to let everyone have a chance," the young man smiled. Nick's expression sobered.

"But I'm the best."

"I'm sure you are but a team is only eleven kids and we have fourteen here," he countered. Before argument could arise Beast Boy blew his whistle once more and clapped his hands together, "Alright, sign your name and number on this sheet and then we need to do some warm-ups."

The boys and girls ran for the clipboard and pen and began scribbling their names and numbers onto the paper. Once they were finished Beast Boy blew the whistle once more and managed to arrange the players in some semblance of a circle. The children did haphazard jumping jacks and other exercises Beast Boy could think of, garnering laughter from the mothers.

"Okay, let's run three laps around the field." He blew the whistle and they all sprung into action whipping around the pitch like a wild pack of animals.

"Whoever gave you that whistle should be shot." The young man heard Raven's familiar monotone voice and turned to see her standing behind him arms crossed, smiling slightly. He grinned at her and blew the whistle. The children stopped running and stared at him.

"Sorry, keep going!"

"They're like an army."

"_My _army."

"Oh how do you stay so humble?" She asked sarcastically, her smirk growing.

"With great practice." Beast Boy winked playfully. Raven stared at him momentarily before turning on her heel and sitting down near Olivia and Neal. The young man was confused, his wife had not said much to him since their dinner with Jason. Beast Boy shrugged his shoulders; he would not question her change in mood if it were for the better.

"Yeah Kristy, leading the pack of course!" Out of the corner of his eye, Beast Boy saw Diane jumping up and down cheering her daughter on.

"For God's sake they're running laps Diane, not a marathon!" Another mother hollered from her seat on the bleacher. Diane glared at the woman with contempt and promptly walked over to where Beast Boy was standing.

"Oh Gar, you have really done such a wonderful thing for these children. You should be_so_ proud of yourself."

"I guess," He muttered trying to put all his concentration on the clipboard in his hands. The children ran back towards him and stood as still as possible, waiting for their coach's next words. "Okay, good job. Uh, let's set up these cones and do some drills." Beast Boy made three lines of cones and dropped a soccer ball at each one, "Here's how we do this." The young man carefully zigzagged around the cones, trying his hardest to look as if he knew what he was doing.

"We know how to do this!" Nick complained taking the initiative to rush through the cones with an ease that only comes from pure talent. "See!" All the children nodded in agreement. Beast Boy refrained from rolling his eyes and plastered a smile on his face.

"Well, then if you know how to do this, let's have the defense up against the offense, we can work on some plays." The players ran to their positions on the field, Nick leading the offensive to the right side, the defense stood on the left.

"My, they really have taken a liking to you," Diane said putting a hand on his shoulder possessively.

"Well, you know…uh kids and stuff," Beast Boy stammered, shaking off her grip and walking out onto the pitch.

"They aren't the only ones," she laughed in a seductive tone unfamiliar to the young man. Beast Boy tripped over a soccer ball and landed on ungracefully on the hard ground.

"Careful there Gar, we need you in perfect condition." He gathered himself quickly and ran to the waiting children without further delay.

Raven sat on the bleachers with a book in hand, ignoring the women's remarks about her husband, especially Diane's. "I'm telling you, he's…_unhappy_." She overheard the zealous blonde whispering to a gaggle of her equally gossipy friends. "I'm concerned."

"Sure you are dear, but wouldn't you think it best to keep those concerns to yourself?" Olivia asked her words coated in sugar. Diane toyed with her blonde ponytail and smiled merrily.

"Well Olivia if you don't want to hear it try not to eavesdrop on other people's conversations." Raven's face burned brightly. Her patience was dissipating with every passing second. The young woman considered her options. She was fraught with equal desire to prove Diane wrong and to sit demurely on the bleachers silently churning with self-destructive anger. As unappealing as the latter seemed, she was more than willing to turn a blind eye to a situation she had no knowledge of how to appease.

"Raven is too serious for someone like Gar, he needs a woman who wants to have fun! Not some old schoolmarm," Diane laughed along with her band of overly tan mothers. She heard Beast Boy call the practice to a finish and swallowing her fears and second thoughts the young woman got up from her seat and marched over to her husband.

"Good practice, next time I'll have more drills. See you all Thursday," Beast Boy dismissed the team and sighed, exhausted. Soccer was far more challenging then he had anticipated and the children were not what he was expecting. He watched as the mother's gathered their kids and noticed Diane staring right at him. Beast Boy turned away sharply and made himself busy, picking up soccer balls.

"_Gar._" Raven appeared by the young man's side, fidgeting as a timid poodle.

"Um, hey…is there something wrong Rae?" He asked concerned. The young woman focused on the hole she was making in the ground with the heel of her shoe.

"No, you did well today," she said with a slight stammer. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Raven's cerulean gaze met his. The young man noticed a flush of color warm her pale face and smiled gently.

The young woman saw her blonde haired nemesis over Beast Boy's shoulder, and grimaced. She moved nearer her husband, protectively. The blush on her cheeks deepened, as all her thoughts pointed to the only possible solution to her silent struggle with Diane. Raven lightly pressed her lips to his, a tender kiss filled with uncertainty. Her lips touched him delicately, as that of a butterfly's wing. It took the young man only a moment to process what was happening, he closed his emerald eyes and kissed her back with the same softness and timidity.

Beast Boy's fingers tentatively traveled up her arm and onto her cheek, cupping her face in his hands. He was nervous in his movements, but a small sigh escaped the young woman's lips encouraging him. The doubt that dominated was quickly washed away with Raven's consent and Beast Boy deepened their kiss, backing it with a passion he had not realized until that moment.

Before he lost complete control of himself, Beast Boy slowly pulled away. He noticed everyone was gone; they were the only two people remaining on the pitch. A bashful grin graced his lips and his hands dropped to his sides, finding comfort in his pockets.

Raven's eyes reverted to their position on the ground. "I forgot my book, uh, I'll see you at home."

"Raven, wait!"

"What?" asked Raven, continuing to walk, refusing to look back. Beast Boy caught up with her quick pace and wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

"Well, you already have your book."

"I brought two."

"No you didn't," the young man smirked refusing to relinquish his grip. "Why did you do that?"

"You did it first," Raven countered realizing, after hearing her words aloud, how childish she sounded. Both blushed hotly refusing to make eye contact. Beast Boy cleared his throat, filling the silence.

"You're right," he laughed awkwardly. The young man released his wife's wrist. "But that still doesn't get you off the hook."

"Well, I-I was keeping the façade. One of us has to at least try to make this sham of a marriage seem real." The young woman rolled her eyes, but try as she might her blush remained, staining her cheeks red.

Beast Boy raised a blond eyebrow at her explanation, having trouble believing her. "I guess you're right." He shrugged.

"Yes."

"Well, maybe we should…go out then. You know, on a date. To keep up the façade of course."

"Oh, a date?"

"We, well, we don't have to! It's just to make us convincing as a married couple."

"I see, I suppose it would help." Raven said in her indifferent monotone. Beast Boy grinned at his wife, who smiled in return, and finished packing up the soccer balls and cones. Raven didn't make a motion to move, waiting for him patiently. The young man escorted his wife to her car, every now and then stealing glances. He was filled with a curious joy, anticipating their date yet nervous as to what it may bring.

Raven said goodbye and sat in her car motionlessly. The young woman was dizzy with questions. Beast Boy's feelings for her went from friendly to ambiguous after he kissed her forehead and now she was certain that his intentions reached beyond the definition of platonic. Elation stirred within her, extending throughout her body.

"It's not a big deal," she muttered to the steering wheel. With the skill she learned from years of meditation, Raven suppressed the feeling in order to remain level headed.

* * *

"Ah, Garfield! Long time no see, and _who_ is this lovely young lady?" Don greeted Beast Boy with a large hug and smiled at Raven with thoughtfully.

"This is my wife, Raven. Rae, this is Don. He owns the restaurant," the young man introduced the two. Don enveloped Raven in a genteel embrace, released her, and grinned at the couple.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"The pleasure is all mine, here I will sit you at the very best table!" Don glided through the maze of tables and chairs with ease and sat the pair near the large window in the back, close to the bar but still secluded. He lit the candle that sat on the table and placed a clean porcelain bowl of sweet smelling water filled with rose petals next to it. "Enjoy your meal!"

"Thank you," both Beast Boy and Raven said in unison. Don clapped his hands together and with one last smile disappeared to giving them privacy.

Beast Boy blushed and dutifully pulled out Raven's chair for her. The young woman smiled and nodded in shocked gratitude.

"I thought you never wanted to come in here," Raven asked conversationally.

"I didn't, but I was wrong. Don's a vegetarian, it was his cousin's idea," he explained. Beast Boy added, with a sheepish smile, "I guess it's all about not judging a book by its cover."

"You're right," Raven brushed her black hair behind her ears and toyed with the pages of her menu.

"Have you found out anymore about that voodoo lady?" Beast Boy had wanted to ask her this question for quite some time.

"I haven't been able to. I've tried, but everything comes up blank. She's put some sort of block on information."

"Why?"

"Remember, she doesn't want us knowing things about her I guess. It's all part of her sick game," Raven stared down at her wedding band, "she doesn't want us to find a way out that isn't her own."

"What's her way out?" asked Beast Boy, eyebrows raised.

"I'm not sure. I know it's about us getting along and fate. Other then that, I don't know how we get out of this."

"Well, she'll turn up again…oh my God!" Beast Boy's emerald eyes widened in surprise, Raven's brow furrowed in confusion and slowly she turned and was immediately hit with the same shock as her husband. Don was hugging Cyborg.

Beast Boy yearned to get up and greet his friend, but just as he was about to do so, he was overcome with the grief of realization. Cyborg didn't know who he was. "We should go say hi."

"We can't," Raven sighed. Beast Boy shook his head in feigned resignation. The young woman's eyes sparkled with remorse, "I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault," Beast Boy smiled and took Raven's hand in his, gently stroking his thumb across her soft skin. "You're right." Beast Boy desired to talk to his friend, but he would have to be discreet. The young man smiled coltishly at Raven causing her to roll her cerulean eyes.

"You're so charming."

"I like to think so," he winked. Raven surprised her husband with a laugh and his smile widened. "You should laugh more."

"I forget that I can now," she commented. Even though she had been without her powers for some time now, the precautions she took to keep them in control were still second nature. With the confidence in knowing that they would not be returning to her without warning, Raven was slowly warming up to the idea of a life that could be lived fully.

* * *

After dinner, Beast Boy and Raven made their way up to the apartment and retreated to bed in awkward silence. Both lay motionlessly, neither one able to fall asleep. Beast Boy sighed and turned toward the pillow wall and ran his fingers along the seam of one of the cotton pillowcases.

"Are you awake?" He questioned. The young man heard Raven sigh and turn so that she was facing the pillow wall as well.

"Yes," Raven responded sighing. Beast Boy removed one of the pillows so that he could see her face and smiled thoughtfully.

"So am I."

"I gathered that," she said in a tone that wasn't cold, just exhausted.

"Rae?" Beast Boy looked into Raven's eyes.

"Hm?"

"What happens next?" He suddenly asked. The young man had been thinking over this question ever since she kissed him, it was something he knew was better left unanswered but his curiosity got the better of him.

Raven stared back at him blankly. Her thoughts just as muddled, "I don't know."

* * *

Well, I hope this was good…I was so nervous about posting this chapter! I seriously am afraid, I hope it was good. The next chapter will be up soon, I think. I apologize (as usual) for being so late with updates it really isn't cool…high school and college applications have really been a burden. I love you all and please review!

XOXO,

Meg


	12. The Stranger

Hi…I know. I'm late. Way, way, way, a million ways late! I've had so much going on, and I'm not exaggerating. College applications, scholarships, exams, school, math, math, math, SCIENCE (ick)! Then, my computer crashed in late October, early November. Thank God for backing up files. I rewrote this chapter three times (this is the third draft). I don't know how I feel about it. The next chapter is going to be a lot better. Trust me, I've been waiting to write the next chapter for a while now. Don't worry it will come! Life has been weird, so it might not be soon—but it will be there, I promise! I love you all and apologize! Please continue reading!

XOXO,  
Meg

PS I finished writing this while watching 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. Brilliant film. Finest actor is Colt's ponytail.

Thanks a million times to **SxStrngSamurai13** for putting up with me and making me write and helping out tremendously!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, DC does.

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Stranger**

_Where do you go to my lovely, when you're alone in your bed? Tell me the thoughts that surround you, I want to look inside your head. _

_-Peter Sarstedt_

"What is the Louisiana Purchase," Beast Boy shouted at the television watching the program intently.

"Do you even understand the point of _Jeopardy_? It's to either watch the show or answer questions correctly, not to shout out wrong ones." Raven rolled her eyes and went back to reading the novel that laid across her lap. "What is the Treaty of Versailles?" She answered without looking up from her book.

"What is the Treaty of Versailles?" The contestant on the show said enthusiastically.

"That's correct! Very good."

"Way to ruin the surprise," Beast Boy muttered crossing his arms over his chest. Raven shrugged her shoulders, a small grin forming on her lips.

"That's what I'm here for."

Beast Boy looked at Raven out of the corner of his eye and tentatively put his hand on hers. "What are you reading today?"

"_The Razor's Edge_," Raven whispered curtly, removing her hand from his. The young man sighed and scooted further away from his wife.

"Rae, you can't keep doing this."

"What? I'm reading, Beast Boy."

"Stop ignoring it! We kissed," shouted Beast Boy loudly. Raven's cheeks flushed and she closed her book slowly. It was something she had been ignoring for months. An inaudible song echoing through her mind, waiting for the day it would find a duet. It had come in Beast Boy's insistence, and the song grew louder until it was all she could here.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," she said meekly. "It isn't that important."

"Obviously _not_! When will it be okay to talk about _this_? I've tried talking to you for weeks now!_ Weeks_!"

Raven's stomach lurched, riding on tempestuous waves. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, as her breathing grew increasingly serrated. "It's stuffy in here, I'm going for a walk." She abruptly rose to her feet and made for the door with shaky legs.

"You don't look good Rae!" Beast Boy shouted, "We need to talk about this!" But before the young man could stop his wife, she was out the door.

Beast Boy sat down on the couch, trapped in a confused silence. He wished above all that he could figure out her mysteries. If he only knew what went on in side her head, he could make things right. "We need a therapist," Beast Boy groaned into his hands. "Someone to talk to…" The young man ran over to the calendar on the desk, noting that it was a Friday; a huge grin came over his once sullen face. "Dumpling night at Zen Garden." Without even bothering for his coat, Beast Boy ran for the door in hopes of talking to the best therapist he knows.

* * *

Downy snow fell upon Raven's arms making her wish she had thought to bring a coat. She was too embarrassed to go back to the apartment, after making such a brash exit, she didn't want to return and look foolish. Luckily, Raven had enough foresight to grab her purse. She bought a cup of tea from a vendor and set off warmed by the rich cinnamon smell and froth.

Raven shook her head of these thoughts and pressed forward through the crowds. She needed to get away from the throngs of people shopping. She pushed forward until the sidewalk was replaced with a dirt path and she found herself in a small park.

It was a three acres surrounded by halfhearted trees and streetlamps, a small patch of countryside lost in the urban jungle. Not wanting to bother with wiping down one of the snow caked benches; Raven trudged over to the iced swings and sat down with caution. She swung unenthusiastically, the heels of her boots digging into the snow. With a sigh she looked up at the dark night sky, searching for a planet, the earth she was meant to walk.

A melodious laugh interrupted her thoughts and warily Raven looked over her shoulder. "Who's there?"

"Raven? Oh I knew it vas you!" A tall woman with long, curly black hair stepped out of the shadows. She was dressed in a white ermine fur coat, and black boots. Her curly black fell around her shoulders, framing her delicate moonlit features. Raven studied the woman's face, her unforgettable ebony eyes and devil's red stained lips.

"M-Mia?" Raven asked through chattering teeth.

"_Oui_!" she said, her accent thick and as smooth as silk. "You look ill dressed for zis veather! All 'zis snow!" Mia put a gloved hand on Raven's cool arm and rubbed her chilled skin until it was warm. "Take my coat."

"No, than you'll be cold."

"Non, I shall be fine. I 'ave many layers of sweaters and a scarf! You 'ave nothing!" Mia hastily took off her fine fur coat and wrapped it around Raven. "Now you vill be varm!"

"Thank you," Raven whispered, feeling warmer. Mia brushed the ice off the swing next to Raven's and sat down. She kicked off the ground spiritedly, threatening to fly off into the night and dance among the stars.

"So vat are you doing in zee park all alone and so cold?" Mia questioned as she continued to swing.

"I don't really know, I needed to think," Raven said. She felt the urge to tell Mia everything. Of being a Titan, of how a gypsy trapped she and Beast Boy in this alternate reality, of how lonely she had been. But before she could confess, Mia had stopped swinging and was standing in front of her, her ebony eyes wide.

"Did you and Garfield 'ave a fight?"

"No! Well, not really."

"Oh non!" Mia wrapped her arms around Raven, who became trapped in the scent of the woman's rich perfume.

"It's fine. It isn't a fight."

"Vat is it zen?" Mia's eyes were filled with genuine concern.

"I'm not sure, I haven't been speaking to him lately," Raven admitted. Something about Mia made her want to say more.

"Let's get into a café for a varm drink, yes?" Mia said with a smile. Raven shook the empty cup in her hand and nodded feebly. The woman picked her up by the shoulders and placed an arm around her. "Come child."

* * *

"Hey Gar! Eating alone tonight?" Don said with his usual grin as Beast Boy entered the restaurant.

"Yeah, Raven's out…shopping," he lied, scanning the room for Cyborg. After looking over the restaurant twice, his eyes finally landed on his large robotic friend sitting alone at the bar, gorging on dumplings. "I'll just sit at the bar."

"Sounds wonderful!" Don led Beast Boy over to the bar where he took a seat next to Cyborg.

"Thanks…" Beast Boy's voice was caught in his throat; he stared at his friend in awe. The young man had to restrain himself from giving him a hug.

"Um, hi?" Cyborg said raising an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

Beast Boy shook his head and immediately dropped his gaze, "Sorry, I just sort of zoned out." There were so many things going through his mind, he had to fight with himself in order to stay collected. He was so close to Cyborg, yet there was a veil between them. They no longer lived in the same world, but rather, a world apart. "So, do you, um, eat here a lot?" Beast Boy asked lamely.

"All the time man! At least two or three times a month!"

"Yeah? I live above the place."

"Lucky! I live far, but it's worth the drive," Cyborg said, spooning another dumpling into his mouth. Suddenly, he stopped chewing and looked at Beast Boy closely, as if in recognition. "You look familiar."

"I do?" Beast Boy asked hopefully.

"Yeah, didn't you come by the Tower a few months back? A woman with you?"

The young man's heart sank as he recalled the day he and Raven went to the Tower to convince their friends of who they were. So much had happened since then. "No," he said with a quick shake of his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive dude, I have no idea what you're talking about," Beast Boy lied smoothly. Months of living with an irremovable mask made the young man into a capable deceiver.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that, but you still seem really familiar. What's your name?"

"Garfield Logan, I'm a veterinarian." Beast Boy smiled and put out his hand. Cyborg shook it and returned the smile.

"Names Cyborg, but I'm sure you knew that," he said proudly. Beast Boy nodded. "Hey, your married?" he questioned noticing the band on the young man's ring finger. "Man, you're so young!"

"Yeah..."

"Problems?" Cyborg noted from the tone of Beast Boy's voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," he added promptly whilst eating another dumpling.

"No, that's fine," Beast Boy sighed. He knew Cyborg would ask this was what he was waiting for. Yet, it didn't feel the same. He _was_ Cyborg, but he wasn't the friend who knew him.

After a minute's hesitation, the young man conceded. He needed help and Cyborg had always been the best person for the job. "Yeah, we've been having some problems. She's just been really distant, I don't know what to do anymore."

"Oh, she's one of those girls."

"I'm sure you've dealt with someone like her before."

"Just stick in there man. You don't seem like the giving up type. She's probably worth the fight," Cyborg said with a twinkle in his eye. He patted Beast Boy on the back; not realizing how comforting the gesture was to the young man. "They usually are."

"I think she is," Beast Boy confessed, his cheeks reddening. "Thanks."

"No problem man." The robotic man ate two more dumplings, filling the silence with his chewing. Beast Boy looked at him from the corner of his eye, a small smile falling on his lips.

"So, do you, uh, like video games?" Cyborg put his spoon down and grinned widely causing the young man to laugh.

"You've no idea!"

"Oh, I think I do."

* * *

Raven and Mia sat in a small coffee shop, near a roaring fire. Raven watched the orange and red flames, their blue souls flickering about their middles as they lick at the logs. A waiter placed a piping hot cup of tea under her nose and without hesitation she began to drink in the warm liquid, allowing it safe passage down her throat. Mia demurely sipped her coffee while occasionally nibbling on biscotti.

She watched Raven through her thick eyelashes in heavy concentration. If the young woman noticed, she did not seem to mind. Mia's presence was intoxicating, a drug as strong as Soma. Yet, there was no adverse affect, no threat of danger. Raven felt lighter, safe under Mia's care.

"Thank you." Raven smiled.

"It is of no problem! I am villing to 'elp a friend!" Mia returned her smile with one of her own.

"I have been lonely lately," Raven revealed.

"Do you not think it may be your own doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Vell, you make yourself lonely. It is not zee doing of your 'usband, rather it is of your own accord?" This was a thought Raven had been battling with for the past month; her depression was not Beast Boy's fault, it was her own. "If you talk to 'im! Communication is a grand thing! I'm sure 'e feels zee same as you do sometimes. We all do. Let yourself be 'appy! It's a pity to waste zis moment!"

Mia's words struck a cord within Raven's soul. She was right. All this time, Raven was selfish, only holding onto her own sadness, never asking Beast Boy how he felt. He was always there for her; it was time for her to do the same.

"Your mood plays a 'uge roll in vat is to come. She's a tricky lady," Mia whispered. Raven saw a flash of mischief in the woman's eyes, but as soon as it was there, it disappeared.

"Who's tricky?"

"Oh! Vell, _fate_ of course."

"Yes, I suppose so," Raven murmured, pushing out of her seat. "I have to go now. Thank you again for the coat." She handed Mia back her coat and stood ready to leave the café when Mia called to her:

"I shall be seeing you soon."

"Excuse me?"

"The office party! The boys' work is 'aving! You and Garfield are attending? You must!"

"Oh, I'm not sure. Gar hasn't said anything about it."

"Vell, I'll 'ave Jason call 'im! That man! Nothing but a _snake_, slinking out of responsibilities."

"Snake does seem to be fitting," Raven muttered under her breath. "Good night Mia. I suppose I'll see you at the party." The young woman was once again heading down the busy sidewalk. Thoughts of the discussion she had with Mia traveled through her head. _She's a tricky lady…your mood plays a roll..._

"No, she doesn't know," Raven reassured as she quickened her pace. Goosebumps covered her arms, and it wasn't due to the winter's chill. With a sigh of determination, the young woman shook her head until the words fell from her ears and focused on what she set out to do, apologize to Beast Boy.

* * *

Beast Boy and Cyborg discussed video games animatedly for well over an hour. For the first time in months, Beast Boy truly felt himself.

"No, the graphics are totally lame! Seriously? It's so unrealistic!" Beast Boy heatedly debated.

"Since when is shooting zombies realistic anyway?"

"You never know dude! I didn't believe in _voodoo queens_ but I sure as hell was proved wrong."

"What?" Cyborg's eyebrows rose.

"Um, never mind," Beast Boy muttered, hastily shoving one of the dumplings he had ordered into his mouth.

"Voodoo queens?" Cyborg laughed. "You believe in voodoo queens?"

Before Beast Boy could respond, he heard someone call his name, "G-Gar?" He whipped around on his stool to see a shaking Raven standing behind him. Her skin was a pale blue and her dark hair was covered in snow.

"Raven? My God, you're shivering. Here," Beast Boy stood, taking the jacket he had put on the back of his stool and gingerly wrapped it around Raven's shoulders.

"T-Thanks," Raven whispered trying to smile through the cold. The young woman's smile faltered slightly when she saw the company Beast Boy was keeping. "W-who's t-this?" she asked. The only thing defying her pleasant demeanor was the steely glint in her cerulean eyes; a warning she only allowed Beast Boy to see.

"This is Cyborg, he's a Titan. Cyborg, this is my wife, Raven," the young man said carefully.

"Nice to meet you." Cyborg smiled thoughtfully. Raven recoiled slightly; the idea of Cyborg not recognizing her was still foreign. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she kept them in check and returned his kindness.

"Nice to meet y-you as w-well."

"What were you doing out with no coat, I told you to bring yours. You should have went back to get it," Beast Boy scolded. Raven's pale cheeks pinked, she was not in the mood to be upbraided by her husband, not after finding him with Cyborg, when she had strongly advised against it.

"Come on Gar_field_, you m-must be tired, l-let's go h-home," Raven said, her tone as lovely as the belladonna; dangerous if not treated with caution. Beast Boy gave her a sullen nod and turned to Cyborg.

"It was good talking to you."

"Yeah, I'm here all the time! We should hang again. See ya around." Cyborg waved promising another day. With a renewed happiness Beast Boy led the way out of the restaurant and up to the apartment excited at the prospects of his new friendship with his old friend Cyborg.

Once inside the apartment, Raven closed the door and immediately rushed to the kitchen to make a cup of piping hot tea. Beast Boy leaned against the counter, watching her suspiciously.

"Rae?"

"—_ven_, it's Ra_ven_," she corrected softly.

"Why are you mad? I was just talking to him." Raven stared at the small ribbon of steam floating from the teakettle in feigned concentration.

"I'm not angry."

"You aren't?"

"No, I'm not." The steam began to grow thicker, heating Raven's face.

"You seem upset," Beast Boy stated. "Are you?"

"I'm not upset."

"Cut it out! Just tell me what's wrong, _please_!" Beast Boy begged. He watched the strain in his wife's face. He knew something was bothering her, and it had to do with seeing he and Cyborg talking. Suddenly, it hit him. "You're jealous."

"_What_?"

"You're jealous," the young man repeated with more certainty. "That's it!"

"Of you?" Raven forced a laugh; it came out harsh and raspy.

"Yeah, I was with Cy…" Beast Boy stopped talking, he saw the pain in Raven's eyes. He knew he was right, she was jealous.

"Yes, you were with Cyborg. A friend," she whispered trying to suppress the hurt in her voice. Beast Boy walked over to Raven and put a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"I wanted to figure out how to make you feel better and I was afraid to ask you. He's the only other person I knew who would understand," the young man reasoned, his grip growing tighter on Raven's shoulder.

"I-I miss them," she confessed. "I know you're here, but this is different."

"Different?" His grip softened and his hand traveled down her arm.

"Please, Beast—_Garfield_."

"Garfield? I thought you only called me that in public." Beast Boy smiled mischievously and kissed Raven on the cheek.

"I think you're as lonely as I am," the young woman blurted. "We only have each other. You miss them and I do too. But this isn't the way to fix things." The tears that she had suppressed before were once again threatening to flow over her eyelashes. "Don't do something you'll regret after everything is over," she said in a low tone.

Beast Boy removed his hand from her arm and turned away from Raven. "I won't. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Fine. Goodnight." Raven grabbed her mug of tea and vanished into the bedroom without saying another word.

The young man ran a hand through his hair and fell onto the couch. Tears welled in his eyes and he let them fall. They were angry and hot, streaming down his face conquering any inch of flesh they fell upon. Beast Boy thought of Cyborg and the team, he was lonely.

Then his thoughts moved on to Raven and what she had said. He was confused. Raven had always been an enigma to him, and now that their differences were melting into similarities, he was afraid. Beast Boy felt this every morning, looking in the mirror and seeing a stranger. This stranger was lonely, and depressed. He saw himself twinkling in his emerald eyes; the laughter was still there. But it was a new laugh, a new joke with a punch line Beast Boy didn't find funny. He wanted Raven to be happy, to be safe. In order to provide that, he had to leave her be.

He laughed bitterly his thoughts always led him to Raven. "I wonder if I'm ever in hers," he muttered before falling into another fitful sleep.

* * *

There you have it! I hope it was worth the wait. The next chapter will be better, I promise! Please review! Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't respond to reviews this time around, I am usually better but I got so far behind on everything that I just wanted to post this chapter. I shall respond to reviews on this chapter though and the ones after! I missed you all! Love you!

PS The quote is from the song "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt. Youtube it and listen! It is amazing!


	13. Half Sick of Shadows

Hey! I'm here once again. I hope the wait wasn't too long I hate being late. Well, this chapter took me a while and it is the longest chapter to date. It is very important so no more author's note. Enjoy!

XOXO,

Meg

Thanks to SxStrngSamurai13 for listening to me gripe, it helps.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, DC does.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Half Sick of Shadows**

"_I carved your name across my eyelids, you pray for rain, I pray for blindness." _

_-The Arcade Fire_

Raven sat at her desk, watching her students nap on their sleeping pads as a lioness watches her cubs, with tense serenity. Ready to attack any assailant threatening to awake them from their _quiet_ slumber. A red rubber ball banged against the window, causing one child with particularly red hair to wake from his sleep and search for the maker of the horrific noise.

"Mrs. Logan!" he cried, his lower lip trembling. Raven rose from her seat and walked over to the boy, who was situated nearest the art easels, and picked him up in her arms. "There was a loud noise, it was a monster!"

"Jonas, there was no monster. I was watching the whole time," she whispered to ease with crying child's mind, but this only made his tears fall harder.

"How do you know? He could be invisible!"

"Oh well I have powers, you see. If a monster ever tried to hurt you—even an invisible one, I'd protect you."

"Really? What kind of powers?" Jonas asked with the unabashed conviction only a five year old could afford to have.

"The kind of powers," she began as she sat Jonas down on one of the rocking chairs, "that monsters fear!"

"Are you a superhero?"

"You could say that," Raven said with a strained voice. Jonas rubbed his eyes and wiggled his feet. "Now, does that sound good to you?"

"I guess. You're like Starfire! The girl superhero that protects us! I saw her on the TV!" Jonas's bright blue eyes were shining with revere as he spoke of her friend, the girl who did not remember she existed. A pang of sorrow struck Raven's heart and proceeded to inch through her body as an electric current.

"Wow, how exciting Jonas."

"Yeah, but I think you're nicer Mrs. Logan," Jonas whispered sheepishly, his cheeks blending in with the red of his hair. Raven felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes and tumble down her face. His words were completely earnest, never before had someone compared Raven to Starfire and found her more agreeable, "Why are you crying?"

Raven shook her head and dried the tears with the backs of her hands and smiled warmly at the little boy. She laughed lightly, "No one has ever said that before."

"You're welcome Mrs. Logan." Jonas returned her smile with a tiny boyish grin.

"Are you ready to nap now?"

"I don't want to go back to sleep," he whined petulantly. "Can't I help you?" His eyes squinted through his fatigue as he suppressed a yawn.

"You can by sleeping," Raven said, "dreaming good dreams keeps the monsters away," she added thinking quickly. "Now, you only have a little while longer. Okay?"

"Oh okay." Jonas jumped down from the rocking chair and toddled back to his mat, where he stared at Raven before gently closing his eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked back over to her desk where she sat and stared out the window.

The trees swayed back and forth and black-purple clouds were forming in the sky, indicating the impending arrival of a storm. Raven groaned inwardly. Tonight, she was the party for Beast Boy's office. Rather than allowing the foul weather to develop outside her window undisturbed, she would be forced to brave it with a blithe smile.

Raven watched the lightening connect with earth and heard the low rumblings of thunder roll through the darkened clouds. "With the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes."

* * *

"So, you're definitely coming tonight Gar? I don't want you flaking out on me now," Jason laughed slapping Beast Boy on the back as the pair prepared to leave for the evening. Beast Boy hung his white lab coat on its hook and gave Jason a small nod.

"No, we're coming."

"Ah, so Raven will be in attendance. Nice!" he laughed, "That'll give Mia some company. Lately, she's been _all_ over me, man. I have to tell say, I don't envy you one bit. Married life? Hell no, that isn't for me."

"Yeah, I suspected as much." Beast Boy grabbed his briefcase and put one hand in his pants pocket.

"Why so down, bud? Raven greeting you with an icy attitude?"

"No, well I guess." Beast Boy couldn't lie. It had been plaguing him for days now, and with no one to talk to, he was looking for an outlet.

"Ah, no _intimacy_," Jason said with a sly wink. His handsomely carved face contorting in to one that would befit a gambling man.

"What? No, well yes. No? No! T-that's not the p-problem," He blushed deeply, feeling the heat travel from his neck all the way up to his hairline. Jason's head fell back in hysterical laughter.

He dabbed at the tears in his eyes and settled his fit before staring directly at Beast Boy with raised eyebrows. "You don't think I'm going to believe _that_, do you?" Jason asked hoarsely. Beast Boy concentrated on the curve of his crooked nose, ignoring the look in his dark eyes. "Aw, Gar! Don't be so down, she'll come around."

"Yeah, I guess."

"If not, me and a few guys are hitting downtown tomorrow night. Some nice girls dance at those clubs." Jason grabbed his briefcase and patted Beast Boy on the back. "Just think it over."

"I don't know."

"Oh come on _Saint Garfield_, when are you going to live a little?" Jason smirked slyly. The two men walked to the door in silence.

"Dude, aren't you dating Mia?" Beast Boy questioned suddenly.

"Sure I am and it's great. But there are tons of fish in the sea and I have an appetite that only a_ buffet_ could satisfy." Jason opened the door and breathed in the fresh air, "Damn, check out the sky. Hope my suit doesn't get ruined. Remember, formalwear tonight. Gar? Earth to Gar?" Jason waved his hand in front of Beast Boy's face to get his attention.

"Oh, yeah. Formalwear."

"See you tonight, bud. Tell me what's going on about tomorrow. It'll be fun, trust me."

"I'm sure," Beast Boy muttered. His face was crimson and his voice low. A torrent of various emotions intermingled within him, fighting for supremacy. Anger was pitied against fear, embarrassment against sorrow. Each had a song to sing, and with all the commotion they came across in a haunting cacophony. Beast Boy's grip on his briefcase continued to tighten, until his knuckles went white.

Rain began to fall from the skies, plastering his blond locks to his forehead. The cool kiss of rain did not stifle the heat emanating from his body. His mind was spinning far too quickly to halt on one single thought. With deep breaths, Beast Boy steadied himself long enough to fish the keys from his pocket and strap on his helmet. In a moment's time, he was off speeding recklessly down the busy streets, until he himself was no more materialized than the feelings pulsing through him.

* * *

Raven stepped out of the shower and quickly secured a pink, fluffy towel around her body. She wiped the steam from the mirror with her hand and stared at her reflection, squinting her eyes and wrinkling her nose. Raven's eyes traveled to the smooth empty space between her eyebrows and sighed sadly. Her cheeks were flushed and was welcoming compared to her otherwise pale complexion. The air in the small bathroom was thick with humidity and stifling. Beads of sweat formed on the young woman's brow but she did not wish to brave the rest of the apartment just yet. Beast Boy was presumably in the living room, waiting for her to finish so that he could get ready, and she wanted to prolong her solitude as long as possible.

In such small quarters, Raven found it a struggle to be alone, even when not speaking with her husband. There was always a ghost of some memory hiding behind doors or under furniture, waiting to be discovered and rehashed. Memories, not people, were what stalked Raven. Being alone never felt more crowded than when surrounded by the spirits of the past.

The young woman opened the door and almost immediately was blanketed by a wave of cold air. She welcomed it as the coolness chilled her heated flesh and walked over to the closet, groaning inwardly as she was forced to find a dress to wear. "I hate clothes, I hate them, I hate them," Raven muttered under her breath as she leafed through the row of garments carelessly. She picked the last dress on the rack and yanked it over her head. Realizing, with a role of her eyes, that her hair was still sopping and stringy, she was back in the bathroom, blow dryer in hand. When she finally emerged she was clothed and dry, finally finished with the agony of preparing and ready for the agony of a night she was truly dreading.

Beast Boy sat on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal and watching the news. It was all he could do to keep his mind off what Jason had said. He was angry, completely absorbed in his frustration. Not only were the dark haired man's words still bouncing around his head, he was nervously anticipating the party he had to attend, with Raven as his wife. Beast Boy was tired of lying, he was becoming too comfortable in his deceits and soon the line would blur, until he no longer knew what was real.

He heard the bedroom door click open and his eyes stayed firmly on the television, he did not dare letting them stray. His expression was cold and he feigned interest as commercials flashed across the screen.

"Well, I'm finished. You can get ready now," he heard Raven's monotone voice echo down the hall and fall in the living room. Beast Boy ignored her and continued watching the television obstinately refusing to look at her. "I said you can get ready," she repeated.

"Fine," he whispered taking his time to rise from the couch. He placed the empty bowl in the kitchen sink and when his eyes finally settled on Raven, Beast Boy came to a halt. He took in her appearance, shocked. Raven's dress was a lavender silk and stopped just before it reached the tops of her heels. Her hair fell down in soft, cascading curls; a fashion Beast Boy had never seen Raven wear. His eyes passed over her exposed shoulders and landed on her soft, pale neck where an amethyst necklace sat.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing, I'm going to get ready." Beast Boy shook his head and passed her with his eyes downcast, closing the bedroom door with a slight slam. Raven turned and looked at the closed door fixated on its unobtrusive details. The rusted doorknob, stripped paint, and copper hinging were nothing in comparison to what lay beyond. Beyond the antiquity of the door sat Raven's future, locked away from sight.

'If only,' she thought sighing, 'I could find that window.'

* * *

The ballroom was cast in gilded ivy, gliding up columns and walls as if lost to the forest of Arden. Chandelier's dripped down from the arched ceilings, yearning to kiss the floor's hardwood body. Tables were set arbitrarily around the ornate room, dressed as blossoming young ladies, decked in pale pink silks weaved with pearls. Candles sat upon them, enhancing their demure blushes with a warm glow. Soft music whispered through the cavernous room, tickling the ears of all, and moonlight glittered through the windows, casting haunted shadows in stygian corners, foreign to the gentle touch of light.

Men and women of privilege filtered through the doors and fell into clusters, never straying far from their equals, fearing the solitude of their own company. Beast Boy spotted the mayor, coming to the realization that this was more than the office party Jason had said it was.

"Doctor Logan, nice to see you showed up son." Beast Boy felt the wrinkled hand of the elder Doctor Griffin on his shoulder. "And who is this lovely young lady?"

"This is Raven, my wife," he said with feigned enthusiasm. Doctor Griffin's peppered eyebrows rose with his crinkled forehead and he took Raven's hand gently.

"So this is Raven, I have heard so much about you."

"From who?" Beast Boy asked suspiciously, "_I_ never talk about her." He noticed Raven's cheeks redden but he ignored her embarrassment and waited patiently for a response.

"Well, you have before." Doctor Griffin's eyes darted around the room uncomfortably, "Jason had said a few words."

"Ah, of course." The words dropped from Beast Boy's lips with a biting irony that Raven had never heard before.

"Garfield, let's find our table," Raven whispered.

"Sure, goodbye Doctor Griffin." Beast Boy put a firm hand on Raven's arm and directed her around the perimeter of the ballroom until he spotted Jason and Mia.

"Gar! Glad to see you two made it," Jason said, his eyes twinkling. He rose from his seat and clasped Beast Boy's hand. Jason looked at Raven and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Looking beautiful as always."

"T-thank you," she muttered pulling away. "Good evening Mia."

Mia sat motionlessly in her flowing crimson, chiffon gown, her devil's red lips formed in a peculiar smile. "Good evening Raven, Garfield." She nodded in greetings. Raven immediately took her place next to the woman and Mia patted her hand.

"I thought you said this was an office party, Jason. Seems to be much more than that," Beast Boy commented coolly while sitting down next to Raven, his eyes never leaving Jason.

"Well it is," Jason laughed. "Dad's looking to expand, something about 'proliferating our assets,' three new offices but he needs backers. He wants to make me head doctor of a branch uptown and I'm not supposed to say anything." Jason lowered his voice and leaned across the table towards Beast Boy, "Dad wants you to be head of another office in the next town over. Quite the promotion."

"I live here, Raven works here. I can't just leave."

"Well, that's what traveling is all about. No biggie. He was saying something about putting you up in an apartment during the week and, you know, on weekend travel back."

"But she's my wife, not just a roommate." Beast Boy stared at Raven out of the corner of his eye, she was busy talking with Mia.

"So? Come on Gar! I'll look after her for you," Jason winked. Beast Boy felt the hairs on his neck rise in defense.

"Good to know you're eager to jump at the opportunity."

"What are friends for?"

"Exactly," Beast Boy whispered and turned towards Raven. Looking past her, he saw the smile on Mia's lips grow larger, a steely glint in her ebony eyes.

"Darling, did you actually propose zat Garfield become estranged from 'is wife?"

"No, no, no Mia. Not estranged, something's being lost in translation."

"Lost in translation, dear? You say you believe zat Garfield and Raven should live in separate cities. Your ignorance is making me think I know zis language better than you do." Mia's gaze narrowed, and her black-gloved fingers traced the edge of her crystal Champaign flute. Raven stared up at Beast Boy, a look of alarm plastered on her porcelain face.

"Mia, I know English. We aren't discussing estrangement. Next time keep that cute little _French_ nose out of business. This is our world."

"You're right, this is _your _world." In an instant, Mia's smile turned from cryptic to warm and she placed a hand on Jason's.

"C'mon Gar, it's an open bar. Let's get some drinks."

"I don't want to drink," Beast Boy stated simply.

"Of course you do, you need to loosen up! Besides, it's time you begin networking." Jason grabbed Beast Boy's shoulder and pulled him from his seat. Raven watched Beast Boy leave, but he did not return her stare.

"Miss 'im?" Mia laughed. Raven caught herself and glanced down at her salad plate, blushing.

"I guess you could say that."

"Oh, 'ow difficult is it for you to just say 'yes'? To admit zat you love Garfield?" Mia questioned unabashedly. Raven's blush grew deeper; her attempt to suppress her redness was in vain.

"Well, missing someone and loving them are two completely different things," she said, her voice higher than anticipated.

"Really? I often believe zat in order to miss someone there must be some sort of connection, a feeling of ardor. Besides, do you not love your 'usband?" Mia's eyes bore deep into Raven as if scanning her mind for an answer left unrealized.

"I have to go to the restroom, excuse me Mia."

"Of course."

Raven hurried out of the jewel-encrusted ballroom, away from the boisterous laughter and the tinkling of bells and harp strings—the cacophonous sounds of reality. She found an emerald velvet settee and sat down, shaking. Outside the rain fell, throwing itself violently against the windows. Raven placed a pale hand to the window and sighed. "It's impossible," she whispered.

Beast Boy stood near the dark wooden bar, looking cautiously at the vodka tonic in his hand. The tall glass seemed to be growing fuller by the second as Jason continued to pour in the liquor. "That's enough."

"Nah man, it isn't enough until it's sloshing over the sides!" Jason laughed, "Besides, these things are _so_ dull, you'll need all the alcohol you can get to kill the edge—drink up!" Jason winked clanking his glass to Beast Boy's and took a long swig. The deceptively water-like liquid stung Beast Boy's lips and burned its way down his throat. He shuddered with alacrity and took another sip. "Good, huh?"

"I guess," Beast Boy muttered, distributing his weight from side to side awkwardly. Jason slipped a hand through his hair and smiled. Something about his look struck Beast Boy as baleful, malevolence disguised with a wolfish grin.

"So, Raven looks great—after being sick and everything," he said casually.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow in suspicion and drank more vodka. "Yeah she's been feeling better for some time now."

"I bet. Have you given any thought to tomorrow night? It's going to be great."

"You have a girlfriend dude. And I, well I have Raven."

"True." Jason rolled his eyes, "I always forget you two are married. Speaking of that little minx," he said looking around the ballroom, "where did she scamper off to?"

"Raven?" Beast Boy asked suddenly, his grip on the glass tightening dangerously.

"No, Mia. Both of them are gone. Women." Jason turned his back on him and waved at an older man and woman. Something in the way his eyes were scanning the room, Beast Boy had a feeling he was looking for someone in particular.

"Right." Beast Boy swallowed the rest of his drink in two gulps, feeling dizzy he poured more vodka into his glass, this time without the diluting tonic.

"That's what I like to see!" Jason slapped him on the back, reaching for the bottle himself. "Look, I'm going to wander. Maybe I'll send Raven your way if I come across her," he said, the alcohol winning out over his judgment. "See you later, Gar."

"Sure, later." Beast Boy drank his second glass even faster than his first, enjoying the lightness and tranquility it provided him. A third was soon to follow and before he could grab for the vodka bottle, adding a fourth to his list, black-gloved fingers wrapped themselves around the neck and pulled it out of reach.

"Dear Garfield, I do not think drinking is such a good idea." Mia gave the bottle back to the bartender with a nod and softly shook Beast Boy's shoulders with both her hands. "Vat do you think you're doing, child?"

"Nothing leave me alone!" he slurred with all the grace of someone under the influence. Beast Boy staggered back slightly, tripping over his feet.

"You are inebriated! 'Ow distressing. Come with me, we will sit down and 'ave a nice chat, oui?"

"We're not in France," Beast Boy stated somewhat unsure.

"It's reassuring to know that you still recognize your surroundings. Let's get you some coffee." Mia sat him down at the table and went off to find a cup of coffee. Upon returning, she found Beast Boy with his head buried in his hands fighting the need to sleep. "Vat is zis? Tired, are ve?"

"Oui, oui."

"Ah, zis night has taken its toll on everyone, non?"

"Non, non."

"Zat means _no_ Garfield, do you agree or are you simply repeating ze last vord of every sentence I utter?"

Beast Boy removed his head from his hands and looked into Mia's inquisitive yet matronly gaze. "I don't even know!" he cried, shaking his head violently.

"Drink ze coffee, it vill make you feel better."

"Will it get rid of Jason?" He drank the coffee with small sips, much slower than the vodka.

"I vish, child. That man causes more problems—"

"Where's Raven?" In his drunken stupor, a sudden realization fell upon Beast Boy. He had not seen his wife in at least an hour. Mia's eyes widened with the same worry.

"Mon Dieu! She said she vas to go to ze bathroom, zis vas too long ago!" Before Mia could catch up, Beast Boy was out of his chair and stumbling around the ballroom in search of Raven.

"Raven! Raven!" Beast Boy shouted over the discussions of people gathered in their social groups. Their eyes turned on him with startled looks of contempt.

"Garfield! Please! You are far too loud," Mia whispered, grabbing him by the arm. "Calm yourself!"

"No! I need to find her! What if, what if…Jason…" Beast Boy let his words trail off into oblivion, not able to finish his thought. Mia nodded sympathetically and brought him back to their seats. "I am sorry child, I truly am."

"For what?" he asked, sitting down. Mia's eyes darkened and they glittered with a strange silver light.

"For vat is to come," she whispered.

"Raven, what are you doing out here alone?" Raven heard Jason's voice and closed her eyes tightly. The thunder rolled through her ears, but she could still feel his presence and smell his strong cologne.

"I just needed to think," she said curtly and in a manner that closed all attempts of furthering the conversation.

"Good to hear, I thought it might have been because of Gar."

"Why would you think that? Is he alright?" Raven's suspicions were piqued and she raised an eyebrow, staring up at him. Jason's expression was solemn and his handsome features were even more pronounced in the dim light. She felt small in his gaze, helpless. He looked her up and down a moment, smiling, before shrugging his shoulders and responding to her question.

"He's fine, but I doubt that his liver is. Gar's been drinking up a storm."

"I don't believe you." Raven shook her head and got up to leave, when Jason captured her arm.

"I wish I wasn't the bearer of the bad news, but it's true." He patted her shoulder sympathetically, surreptitiously brushing strands of her onyx hair away and brushing his knuckles across her neck.

"I'm going home now," she said sadly. "I need to go get my coat, please excuse me." Raven wiggled out of his grip and was walking briskly towards the doors, to her safety.

"Raven wait!" Jason called, catching up to her just as she was about to enter the ballroom. "Just have one dance with me, I haven't danced with you since your wedding."

"I wonder why," she muttered before placing a hand on the door.

"Just for old time's sake, one dance."

"I can't I need to check on Garfield, we're leaving."

"Please, Raven. It will only be one song," Jason implored. Raven sighed exasperated at her defeat. He was far too frustrating.

"Will you finally leave me alone and _stop_ lying about my husband?" Raven asked, blushing at calling Beast Boy her husband.

Jason winked and took her hand, "Absolutely."

The music slowed its rhythm, and a soft, haunting waltz began to play. Jason guided Raven to the middle of the dance floor and twirled her into his strong embrace. He held on to her back, his hand remaining in its modest position. Jason's eyes reflected the light, causing them to appear sapphire. They gazed into Raven's equally cerulean pair, wolfishly.

"You are very beautiful."

"This is a dance not a discussion, J-Jason," she stammered. Her nerves were on end and she could feel nothing but the heat emanating from his body.

"I love it when you're angry, those eyes of yours seem to _glow_."

"If you only knew," Raven said menacingly. She felt Jason's hand slipping carefully downwards, resting in the small of her back. He pulled her closer until the space between them was nonexistent.

"Your resistance only makes me want you more. We always want what we can't have, right?" he laughed, "but hell, I can have anything or any_one_ I want."

"You can't have me," she growled. His grip tightened and suddenly they were no longer dancing. "I have to go now."

"Not without a goodnight kiss." Before Raven could stop him, Jason had his lips on hers. His kiss was rough and filled with lust. She managed to place both her hands on his chest and push away as hard as she could.

"What do you think you're doing?" Raven slapped him across the face with all her might. "Don't ever come near me again?" she shouted. Guests stopped their dances and watched the scene unfold before their eyes. What is an act upon the stage today will serve as top gossip tomorrow.

"Raven, you're causing a scene." Jason rubbed his cheek with one hand and grabbed Raven's arm forcefully with the other, "you don't want to do that."

"Don't you _dare_ touch my wife again!" Beast Boy seized Jason's hand, tearing him away from Raven. He faltered in his steps and nearly collapsed.

"You smell like vodka Garfield," Raven said.

"See, I told you he was drunk," Jason laughed lightly. "Come on Gar, give it a rest."

"No, I have been so tired of watching you hit on her. She's _married_. To me."

The music that once filled the room with its delicate notes, stopped. Beast Boy's breathing was harsh and shaky; he could here the whispers of the onlookers but remained firm in his convictions. His emerald eyes narrowed on Jason, unwavering he watched him shift uncomfortably.

"Look, Gar, you're causing a scene. You should get home." Jason lowered his voice, "Damn it, the mayor is here!"

"Fine, outside."

"You want to fight me? You're drunker than all hell, besides you couldn't beat me if you were sober." He grinned. Beast Boy advanced, placing all he had in his fist and striking against Jason's face. Jason tripped on his feet and fell backwards into an graying man. However hard Beast Boy hit him, he was still unable to wipe the sneer off his lips. "Is that all you got buddy? Your wife hits harder than you!"

"Let's go." Beast Boy staggered towards the doors and pushed them open with vehemence.

"Garfield, don't!" Raven ran after him, Mia only half a step behind, followed by Jason and the rest of the party's guests. "Please, can't you see that he's trying to get you in trouble?"

Beast Boy paid her no attention, as he trailed down the grand staircase and out onto the cold, quiet sidewalk. The rain poured down relentlessly soused his white dress shirt. He took off his jacket and handed it to Raven, along with his tie. Raven underneath the awning, her eyes wide and her body shaking. Jason sauntered out from the crowd with an arrogant step. His dark hair clung to his brow, just as Beast Boy's tawny locks. Jason sized him up carefully, with a smooth smirk. Rolling up his sleeves, he shook his head several times before meeting Beast Boy's gaze.

"Are you ready? I should've stolen her away from you in college. She wants a man, not a _boy_." Jason swung at Beast Boy and hit him square in the jaw. He fell onto the asphalt and landed on his back. "Can't take a punch, priceless."

Remembering a move Robin had taught him, Beast Boy kicked Jason's knees and watched as he collapsed on the sidewalk next to him. He crawled towards him and punched him in the abdomen. "Just shut up!" he cried.

Jason lunged at Beast Boy, catching him off guard and pounding him hard into a puddle. The sounds of fists against flesh rang out through the air and jewels of ruby blood formed on Beast Boy's lips, the copper liquid trickled down his throat.

Raven stood in shock, her hands trembled with rage as she watched Jason pummel her husband. Mia put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her closely. The crowd of men and women who had never seen such a sight gasped and cringed along with the fighters.

"He's out of a job, that boy has lost his mind," a florid faced man said to the woman standing next to him. They watched on with heated whispers and nervous recoils as the pair continued their brawl. Raven let go of the breath she was holding as Beast Boy got out from underneath Jason and was now back on his feet. Just as he was wiping the mud off his face and blood from his chin, Jason tackled him once again to the ground. Slowly, he tumbled to his feet and felt a sharp blow to his stomach. Beast Boy shrank into himself, drawing his knees into his chest in defense. Closing his eyes, he suppressed his groans of agony and grit his teeth feeling more blood drip from his nose, mingling with that from his lip.

Jason slowed his assault, breathing deeply and throwing his arms into the air victoriously. Finally, his kicks came to a complete stop and a small smile formed on his face. "See you around, Gar." He gave Beast Boy one last kick before retreating into the hotel.

Soon, the crowd dissipated, their idle hands searching blindly for the next purveyor of shallow entertainment, until only a few stragglers were left. Raven stood still, her heart beating wildly. She watched Beast Boy struggle listlessly in the murky puddle. Coming to her senses, Raven ran out from underneath the awning, pearls of rain wound through her hair and saturated her gown. She kneeled down by Beast Boy's limp form and placed a cold hand on his bruised cheek.

"Oh God," he gurgled, flinching under her touch.

"Sorry!" Raven said apologetically, "but you're going to have to stand. I can't drag you to the car."

"Is there a gurney?" Beast Boy's head swooned to the side and Raven rolled her eyes.

"Cut it out, you have been through worse." She took off her heels and placed them on the sidewalk, the icy water collecting on the streets immediately consumed her feet but she ignored it and attempted to lift him to a sitting position. Finally, after several minutes, Raven was able to get Beast Boy to sit on the curb.

In the waning streetlight she was able to examine his face more clearly. Rivulets of blood and sweat swirled together in a brilliant vermilion. A moon shaped cut embraced his eyebrow and his face was red with bruises that were sure to turn black. His nose was covered with dry blood and his lips were in the same condition. On top of everything, muck caked every inch of his face up to his hairline; it was only through the brightness of his injuries that Raven was even able to determine his condition.

She ran a tentative hand through his pasted down hair to discover shards of glass tangled within. Her heart felt heavy and the beginnings of tears filled her eyes. "He did some damage, does anything feel broken?"

"I don't know." Beast Boy answered her question with a small shrug, knowing this meant that he was too impaired to feel _anything_.

"Well, I'll check when we get home." She took his left arm and carefully put it around her shoulders. Lifting up, she stumbled forward under his weight and was thankful for removing her heels. "Come on, time to go."

Raven noticed a pair of dark eyes on them; Mia was standing in the shadows of the awning, watching attentively. Her lips drooped in small frown, and she stared at them without a word. Their eyes met, Mia's were rigid and, paradoxically, serene. They followed the pair down the sidewalk, until it was no longer possible to make out their forms in the heavy veils of rain.

* * *

"Sit down." Raven escorted Beast Boy into the bedroom and sat him on the edge of the bed. She hastily made her way into the bathroom, returning with a bowl of warm water, a rag, and a cup of tea. "I should probably check for broken bones first."

"Okay," he said slowly. Beast Boy stared at the lamp until his eyes burned from the light and he had to look away. He refused to meet his wife's gaze. Raven looked at his once white shirt, now soaked in muck and shook her head.

"I'm going to have to apply pressure to your ribcage, tell me where it hurts." Carefully, she placed her pale hands on his chest and pressed down lightly. He groaned slightly, grimacing in pain. "I wish I could heal you."

"It was worth it," Beast Boy whispered. Raven quickly removed her hands and stared at him intently.

"What? You thought that fighting Jason was worth it? Do you even understand how _stupid_ you were?" she said as calmly as possible. A silence passed between them and for lack of anything else to do, Raven took the damp rag from the bowl and began to dab the dirt and blood from his face.

"Well, what would you have done?" he asked, suddenly meeting her gaze. It had been so long since she met his eyes that they looked almost forceful; something in them was burning, demanding an answer.

"I—I wouldn't have done that! And on top of it you're drunk, do you know how ridiculous you are?"

Beast Boy took the tea off the nightstand and sipped it, allowing its warmth to envelope his body and push out the grogginess of his body. He stared at her for some time, not saying a word. Raven had never seen him this still it unnerved her.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"I have nothing to say."

"What do you mean?" Raven wiped the rag across his forehead, paying special attention to the scrapes around his temple. She feared his calm demeanor; it was nothing like Beast Boy to lose graciously.

"I know why I did it, that's all that matters."

"Why did you do it?" She wet the rag in the water and mopped up the blood on his nose, her fingernails tracing over his lips ever so slightly.

"I did it because of you."

"Me?"

"Raven, I think I'm in love with you."

"I'm so angry with you right now…" her words trailed off into the distant corners of the room.

* * *

I know I'm a terrible person. But it was such a brilliant place to stop, so I did! Hm, what will happen next? I hope this was well received! I really worked hard on it; I hope the writing was good. The title is from one of my favorite poems "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. And the quote is from the song "Crown of Love" by The Arcade Fire. Amazing stuff so read and listen! Thanks for reading my fic! I do appreciate the reviews…so please continue to do so! Love you all (even though the feeling may not be mutual at the moment)!

XOXO,

Meg


	14. Forget Tomorrow

Well, here it is! Sorry for the delay! The moment you've all been waiting for. This chapter is definitely teen and has some adult content so don't read if you don't like that sort of thing (although it isn't tasteless—at least I don't think it is—so rest assured). Please review and enjoy!

-Meg

PS: Oh, and I have been thinking of another fic (now that this one is settling down), it would be a lot darker, which I'm used to writing, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, DC does.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Forget Tomorrow**

"_Lay next to me and stay a while, we'll let the hours slowly pass us by, whisper soft into my ear, and promise me we'll lie forever here."_

_-Devics, "Afraid of Loving You"_

"Angry?" Beast Boy asked incredulously. His vodka-induced state was slowly wearing and the pain he obtained in the fight replaced the numbness.

Raven's thick black lashes swiped over her cerulean eyes demurely. She refused to let Beast Boy see her concern while she was still fuming over his act of unwarranted chivalry. "Well, lets see Garfield. In the short span of three hours, you have compromised your career, embarrassed not only yourself but me as well, and oh yes! How can I forget? Nearly drank yourself to death! What a way to make an impression."

"Well, excuse me for trying to protect my _wife_!"

Raven's breath caught in her throat, "I don't need to be protected, I was a member of the Titans too."

Unexpectedly, he placed his hand on hers and stroked it with his thumb. "We all need to be protected sometimes Raven, let your guard down."

"No, I can't do that around you."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Raven mumbled, her cheeks flushing, "you'll probably make a joke out of it."

Carefully, he pulled her down next to him on the bed. Brushing a strand of wet hair from her face, Beast Boy leaned in close and gently touched his lips to her cheek. He stared at her with earnest eyes, "I'm not laughing."

Raven felt her heart rise into her throat; she was not expecting such an earnest response. Tentatively, she placed her trembling fingers on his chest looking up at him with surprise. He kissed her lightly on the nose, "I wasn't joking when I said I love you."

Cupping the back of her neck in his hands he trailed kisses along her jaw line. Beast Boy nuzzled his face in her hair taking in the mingling scents of lilac and rain, relishing in the fact that she was in his arms. His warm breath tickled her ear; Raven gasped and clutched his shirt. He smiled, knowing it was he that was educing her sighs of pleasure. His pulse raced with every kiss, every movement, savoring the moment.

Rain continued to tumble from the heavens, pushing the dirt and grime of life from the streets, washing away the impurities. Raven listened to it beat against the windows, mirroring her quickened pulse. The sound soothed her quaking nerves and felt all her troubles wash transition into confidence. She wanted this just as much as he did. Handling her as if she were made of porcelain, Beast Boy gently laid Raven down on the bed and looked deep into her cerulean eyes. Knowing his question, she slowly nodded, sliding her nail under the first button on his shirt.

He lost his hands in her hair and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, his lips slipping down to hers. Beast Boy winced at the sudden pain in his ribs and pulled back.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked alarmed.

"Terrific." He bent down towards her again.

"Are you sure you want," she hesitated, "are you too drunk?"

"I promise I know what's going on and that you aren't taking advantage of me. Scout's honor," Beast Boy said holding up his right hand. With a coltish grin he added, "And even if you were…I wouldn't blame you."

Raven rolled her eyes. "How charming," she teased in a monotone softer than usual. She reached up to his face and traced the wounds along his temple and cheeks. Tears pricked her eyes. Raven brought him down towards her and kissed him tenderly.

"Don't cry," Beast Boy whispered, wiping her lashes with his thumb.

"I love you too," Raven laughed, "even though you act without thinking."

"Some people say that's endearing." Without another word, he twined his fingers through the straps of her dress and pushed them down over her shoulders. He fumbled briefly with the zipper on the back, but managed after a few clumsy attempts. Raven unbuttoned the rest of his shirt without further delay and ran her hands over his chest.

Beast Boy paused and stared down at Raven and held his breath in awe. Bathed in moonlight, her black hair sprawled out on the pillows, and a faint smile upon her lips, she looked serene. "You're so beautiful."

Raven found his belt and with haste undid the buckle. She pulled at his pants unsuccessfully, not able to get them off. A full minute passed before she gave up. Raven sighed exasperated, "Did you glue these on?"

He laughed, "Allow me." Sitting up he wiggled out of his pants and threw them on the floor near his shirt and her discarded dress. Beast Boy grinned, his heart racing. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he realized his lack of clothing. Upon feeling Raven's fingers crawl up his stomach, his anxiety was replaced with excitement and he hurried to fill their mutual anticipation.

His hands tickled the curve of her hips and slowly caressed her thighs as he planted kisses on her neck. Raven closed her eyes and dug her nails slightly into Beast Boy's shoulders. "Be gentle Garfield, please," she whispered.

He muttered huskily, "Raven, I couldn't be anything but with you." Collecting her in his arms, Beast Boy moved with every concern for her. Lightening illuminated the sky, sketching the shapes and rhythms of their dance upon the dark walls.

* * *

The dewy first rays of sunshine peeked through the curtains and laid their claim on the pair of restless bodies on the bed. Raven ruffled Beast Boy's hair and kissed his forehead. She put her head on his chest and sighed.

"Hey, what happened?" Beast Boy laughed. Raven looked at him with innocent eyes.

"To what?"

"Well, the pillow wall. Wasn't it you that insisted it never be torn down?" He asked, feigning earnestness.

Raven sat up and looked around at the pillows strewn around the sides of the bed and then looked back at Beast Boy. "Don't you think you're a little late in questioning the demolition of the pillow wall?"

"Maybe," he winked, "So is it going back up?"

Leaning over him, Raven grinned mischievously and placed kisses on his neck, "You tell me."

Beast Boy ran his hands through her hair and brought her lips to his. Never before had he felt this content and Raven's attitude told him she felt the same. He could not recall a time prior to the previous night when he had heard her laugh so blithely or smile in such a way that made her entire face light up. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her and pulled Raven closer.

"No, because I want to be able to hold you. I want to protect you, Raven." He closed his eyes and yawned. "I love you," he whispered before falling into an unwanted yet much needed sleep.

"I love you too." Raven repositioned without leaving her place in his arms so that she could watch him sleep. She smiled at the way Beast Boy's hair fell over his eyes and how his nose was spattered with freckles. She admired his jaw line and the gentle slope of his brow when in a deep sleep. He was handsome, not in the way Raven ever noticed before, rather in a way that only seemed more prominent when illuminated from within.

Lightly, so as not to wake him, she traced the outline of his lips with her fingers. Sighing, she resisted the urge to kiss him. It was an urge Raven never thought she would have but now upon recognizing it, knew it was one she would never once want to live without again.

The buzzer rang out through the apartment. Raven turned and glanced at the clock. Upon seeing that it was only 6:45 AM she groaned in aggravation and carefully removed herself from Beast Boy's arms. Giving him one last glance, Raven found a robe in the closet and put it on and walked into the living room. The buzzer rang a second time. Raven pushed the intercom button and spoke softly, "Who is it?"

"I think you know who it is."

Raven's heart rose in her throat, Jason's voice sounded in her ears.

"Go away Jason," she said with a forced edge.

"Oh don't flatter yourself Raven, I'm not here to threaten your virtue. I'm a mere messenger for your knight in shining," he paused briefly and chuckled, "Well I suppose not armor since he fell like a house of cards."

"What do you want?"

"Just wanted to let you know that your husband needs to start waiting on line for those employment checks."

"What?" Raven leaned against the wall, her finger pressed firmly to the button, waiting for his reply.

"He got canned for defending your honor. All you had to do was be the good little girl that I know you can be and comply. My dad was so pissed that _Dr. Logan _picking a fight with his son in front of every important person in the city. As far as I'm concerned, it's all your fault Raven."

"Why don't you go pass out in a gutter somewhere," she whispered dangerously.

"Now that isn't a very nice thing to say. Besides I don't want to take up all the gutter space, where will you two stay after being kicked out onto the streets?"

"The next time you come here, you'll be leaving with a broken nose."

"I doubt your husband can land a punch on me, we all witnessed his spectacular fighting skills last night."

"Maybe not," she said clenching her fists, "but I sure as hell can." Allowing her threat to sink in, Raven took her finger off the button, not wanting to hear his response. She walked over to the window and sat on the sill. Raven watched Jason stagger out onto the sidewalk, smirking slightly at the sight of his bruised face.

"Who was that?" Beast Boy asked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as he sank onto the couch.

"Jason," Raven stated bluntly. As soon as his name left her lips Beast Boy was on his feet rushing toward her.

"Why?" he growled dangerously. His anger sent shivers down Raven's spine.

"He came to put the final nail in the coffin," she placed her hands on his chest, "Garfield, his father fired you."

"Fired?" Beast Boy shook his head violently. He shuffled back to the couch and sat down, burying his head in his hands. "I can't be fired, I don't _want _to be fired."

"I'm so sorry," Raven murmured, cautiously she sat next to him.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Raven. It was all _him_," he said, refusing to say Jason's name.

"If I defended myself better, everything could have been avoided."

"No, no Raven he would have kept trying." Beast Boy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "He had to be put in his place."

"You loved being a veterinarian."

He nodded solemnly, "I did. But I love you more." He kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "So, now that I'm out of a job, what do you suggest we do with our day?"

"Well, I don't know what I'm going to do with my day, but _you_ should probably start job hunting."

"Aw, c'mon Rae, it's Saturday!" he whined petulantly, grin still intact.

"Now that sounds familiar." Raven rolled her eyes and kissed Beast Boy tenderly.

His arm moved toward her waist as she clutched onto his neck. She moaned as his lips left hers and began to nip at her ear. Her hands made there way from his neck to his chest and slowly they tickled down his back. Scooping her up in his arms, Beast Boy placed her on his lap and started untying with the bathrobe's belt.

Raven swatted his hand away, her eyes narrowed. "First, job." She removed herself from Beast Boy's lap and made her way to the bedroom.

"You can't just walk away from something you started!" Beast Boy groaned. He followed after her, with wide eyes.

She turned suddenly to face him and kissed him again, this time remaining out of his reach. "Get dressed."

"Damn."

* * *

"I'm not going to be a janitor at your school, Raven. Cleaning up puke isn't my cup of tea."

"We've tried everywhere else," Raven said, shaking her head, "Every other vet in town, animal shelters, even the zoo." They sat in the Zen Garden staring at plates of half eaten food. They had been running around all day. Beast Boy charmed his way into impromptu interviews only to discover that when he gave them his name each potential employer no longer had a position for him.

"Griffin got to them all, he's making sure I don't get a job."

"Well, that means you're going to have to consider other options." Raven played with her egg drop soup, dunking pieces of green onion in the hot broth. She had a feeling Jason and his father would stoop to this.

"Why the sad faces?" Don frowned at the pair, his hands resting on his large frame, "Is the food bad?"

"No. More like life," Beast Boy stated dryly.

"What has you so down?" He asked, the perpetual smile returning to his face upon hearing that it was not the food that made them so melancholy.

"Garfield lost his job, and we really can't make rent on my salary alone."

Don stared at them for some time, his eyebrows raising and falling in thought. He shifted his weight on his feet and finally clapped his hands together, nodding.

"Can you cook, Gar?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Cook? Can you do it?"

Beast Boy eyed the man, his black hair was slightly mussed and an apron covered in stains sat atop his suit. His face revealed little, but Beast Boy noticed a sort of desperation in his gaze. The man through his hands in the air and shook his head.

"My cousin left me high and dry and took my two of my chefs and a few waiters with him to open his own restaurant—the rat," Don began angrily, "so now I'm here, working as owner, waiter, and chef, just trying to keep my head above water. The one good thing that came of all of this was that he took those damn rabbits with him," he sighed.

The man sunk down into a chair at a table opposite them and wiped the sweat from his brow. Beast Boy considered the opportunity. He loved to cook. At the Tower he fondly remembered trying to serve tofu to Cyborg, with a keen smirk he realized that the chance was his again.

So as not to appear eager to either Raven or Don he ruminated his decision, allowing the idea to grow and flourish in his mind. Finally, he gave them his answer, "I'll warn you that I'm not the world's best chef, but I can learn. I've watched enough Food Network."

"Good, because your audition is tomorrow. So, prep tonight and I'll see you bright and early. Let's make it for 10 in the morning."

"Audition?"

"Yeah, you're going up for sous chef, of course you'll have to audition! As much as I like you Gar, I still need to know that you have potential."

Beast Boy considered this and shrugged his shoulders, "Fair enough." He shook Don's hand and smiled.

"Don't be too nervous, my boy." Don slapped him on the back and grinned, "You'll do well." With that, Don disappeared back into his kitchen, leaving Beast Boy and Raven alone.

"Looks like you have your work cut out for you," Raven said.

"_Me_? So do you official food taster." Beast Boy winked and stood putting his hand out for Raven to take, "C'mon, we have to get to the grocery store before it closes."

* * *

"Is it supposed to taste like peanuts and chocolate?" Raven asked after tasting the soup Beast Boy ladled into a bowl for her.

Beast Boy nodded, "I thought I'd try something new, instead of traditional peanut soup, do you like it?"

Raven took another taste, this time analyzing the combination of flavors with more scrutiny. It was creamy like peanut butter and rich like chocolate. The soup wasn't too heavy, and it had a kick to it that caused Raven to scrunch her nose.

"Chili powder," Beast Boy offered as an explanation upon seeing the confused look on her face.

"It's really good," she answered honestly, "where did you learn to make this?"

"I just sort of made it up as I went along," he shrugged.

"Are you sure? Because this is really good," Raven teased. Beast Boy rolled his eyes and hit her playfully on the arm.

"I made something like it once, back at the Tower."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you didn't want to eat it—even after I begged. I forget your exact words but you said something along the lines of never wanting to try it for fear of an excruciating death."

Raven crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. She stared at Beast Boy for a long time before sighing. Remembering a distinct instance in which she had responded to his attempts at friendship with a scathing remark was like sifting through sand in search of a single piece of dust. Raven put her hands on Beast Boy's face and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry for being so mean to you. You never deserved it."

Beast Boy wrapped his fingers around her arms and pulled her closer, laughing as he did so. "Are you kidding me? Of course I deserved it! I bugged the hell out of you Raven."

"Very true," Raven grinned, "but that didn't give me the excuse to be rude."

The soup was long forgotten as Beast Boy began dragging Raven over to the couch. "You kept me busy," he whispered into her ear as his fingers combed through her hair. Raven's heart jumped into her throat upon hearing the seductiveness of his tone, and with every ounce of passion she possessed, she kissed him.

"We should have done this earlier," Beast Boy said between kisses, his husky voice muffled against Raven's skin. Just as his hands were slipping underneath her shirt, the buzzer rang.

"We need to answer that," Raven muttered halfheartedly.

"No we don't." Beast Boy continued kissing her neck, Raven shook her head and got off the couch.

"Yes, we do. Oh don't give me that look," she said in response to his glower. Raven padded over to the intercom for the second time that day, praying that it wasn't Jason back for a second turn at harassing them.

"Hello?"

"Could I please come up? It is Mia," a throaty accented voice said.

Raven frowned, concern immediately upon her. "Yes, is something wrong?"

"I just need to talk to you." Raven buzzed Mia up and within minutes there was a knock at the door. She opened it to see Mia, clothed in a fine magenta gown, a fox stole, and long dark curls accentuated with white gardenias. Raven noted that Mia's extravagance only grew each time she saw her.

"Come in, would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you," Mia said politely as she walked over to the couch and sat down next to Beast Boy. Her red lips formed in a pout and her large eyes fixed themselves on Raven. "Please, sit down," she whispered.

"What's wrong?" Beast Boy asked, taking in Mia's serious face. His mind swam with reasons for her somber behavior, Jason being one of them. "Did _he_ hurt you?"

"No child, not at all. Raven, please sit down," she repeated.

Obediently Raven sat on the edge of the coffee table. She stared back at Mia, unblinking, her concern declining into fear. Something in her relentless gaze unnerved her. "Why are you here?"

"I vanted to discuss your lives. Zis ones," she began with an unassuming smirk, "and ze ones you left behind."

* * *

There you have it! I hope this was good I really tried hard. I know it was very romantic, but I thought that would be welcome after 13 chapters. Anyway, I hope the next one is up soon! The keyword is hope. The title and quote are both from songs by the amazing band, Devics, check them out and report back to me! They are brilliant!

Oh, and I apologize a million times for letting my responses to your lovely reviews get away from me! I truly appreciate them, so please keep on reviewing! Thanks everyone!

PS: Pygmalion hasn't been forgotten, after the end of this I plan on revising the entire thing, so stick around!


	15. Que Sera, Sera

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, DC does.**

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Chapter 15: Que Sera, Sera

"_When I grew up and fell in love, I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead. Will we have rainbows, day after day? Here's what my sweetheart, said: Que sera, sera, whatever we'll be, we'll be. The future's not ours to see, que sera, sera. What we'll be, we'll be." -Doris Day_

Several seconds passed, but to Raven it seemed as if time had come to a halt. She eyed the clock on the cable box just to make sure her world had stopped spinning. Who was this woman? This person she had started considering a friend suddenly stepped out from the shadows, aware of their secret all along. Aware that she and Garfield were strangers to this alternate reality seemingly painted especially for them.

The tick tock of the clock in the kitchen cut the silence into pieces of unmanageable eternities. Raven sighed. She knew it was no use to feign ignorance. Mia obviously knew more than she was leading on. Raven crossed her arms over her chest and stood, opting to speak before these eternities drowned her. "Who are you?"

"I am not an enemy, if that is what you are thinking," Mia said. Her back straight, hands clasped on her lap. Mia's eyes bore into Raven's, a small smile on her lips. It had been so long since she had been with the Titans that Raven did not even consider the fact that Mia could have been a threat. She stood firm, eyes narrowed, surprised how easily she let her guard down.

"Why are you here? What do you know?" Beast Boy said, his voice a whisper.

"I am Mia Laveau, daughter of Madame Laveau." Mia's smiled wryly, her grin a shadow of a fox's.

Raven felt the anger churning inside her, shaking her to the core. "So, you could have helped us, but you chose not to. You knew we were here from the very beginning, stuck in this fantasy land your mother concocted."

Mia shook her head and placed a hand to her temple. Slowly, she stood and took Raven's hand in hers. "It is not a fantasy, it is my home. It is home to many people. Who is to say _your _world is not the fantasy, Miss Roth? My mother does not have the power to create worlds, only ideas. She brought you here for a purpose, to prove to both of you that the idea of love does not have to be a foreign one.

"After what happened last night…well, I cannot bear to see either of you in any pain. I felt it necessary to come forward after what that excuse for a man did. I have been watching for a long time you see and, well, I adore both of you very much. Mother wanted you to realize love, to see that it surpasses the magnificent and the mundane. I am certain both of you wanted to realize this, as well.

My mother may have brought you here, but it is my duty to bring you back. That is, if you want to go back."

Raven looked at Beast Boy, Mia's final words sinking in for both of them. "What will it be like, if we return to being Titans?" Beast Boy asked.

"Well, you will remember everything. You will be able to recall what you learned here, but it will feel as if you never left your home. Your friends will not know you were gone. Everything will be as it was. Except for the memories you will have of this place, of this moment. What happened here will remain with you for the rest of your lives."

They could go home to their friends. Their powers would return and life would continue as if nothing happened. If they chose to do so, both of them could pretend like this was a dream, just a dream of a place of a life of a love.

"What if we don't want to go back?" Raven said before she could stop herself. She felt her face begin to warm. Beast Boy stared at her, his eyes wide.

"If you do not go back you will continue to live this life as it is now. Simple as that—but I do need an answer and there is no reversing what path you choose."

"When, when do you need to know?" Raven tugged her hand from Mia's and went to stand near Beast Boy. He latched onto her arm both of them waiting for the statuesque woman to tell them their deadline.

"Let's give it a few days and I'll return. How does that sound?" Mia bowed her head slightly, her mouth in an unreadable line. "I am confidant you will make the right choice." With those words lingering in the air, Mia headed for the door and left the small apartment.

Raven collapsed onto the sofa, her head in her hands. Beast Boy sat down beside her, trying his best to maintain his composure. She was limp, exhausted, and near tears. Beast Boy adjusted Raven so that she was in his arms, her head on his shoulder. It was then that he felt the warmth of her tears soaking through his shirt. This was a first. He sat absolutely still, shocked to hear Raven cry. Her weeping was warm and soft, almost inaudible. He felt her gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly as she unleashed the tears she had stored up for so long. Beast Boy finally felt the urge to react, comfortable in his actions, Beast Boy kissed Raven's head and rubbed her back with his hand.

"We…we're safe here. You know? There is nothing to worry about. It's only you and me." Raven mumbled into Beast Boy's shoulder.

Suddenly, Raven moved so she could face her husband. Her eyes were red, her skin blotchy. She opened her mouth and closed it quickly, trying to translate her thoughts into words. "I—I never thought I was destined to live long. Honestly. I never thought I'd make it past my sixteenth birthday. I was prepared, Garfield. I was ready to die.

"I never wanted to be in a relationship. I never sought this kind of thing. It was inevitable that even if I did find someone to be with, I would never be able to give them the emotional response they needed. And then. And then all of this. After everything, I—I'm not ready to die anymore. I don't want to do it. I'm scared, Garfield." Raven looked away, suddenly ashamed of her behavior. Furious with herself, she dug her nails into the palms of her hands cursing her emotions.

Beast Boy closed his eyes in thought. Surely this was a long time coming for Raven. These were things she had dealt with as a Titan and were things she had carried with herself for her entire life. He caught Raven's chin in his hand and tilted her head so he could see her face.

"Look at me, Raven. I will do whatever you want, but we need to remember our duty to the Titans. We need to remember our friends and all the people that still need our help."

She knew he was right. But, in this world she felt comfortable. It was nice; feeling safe was something she had never known until now. There was something to be said about a life that was not lived as if each day was her last. Raven laid her head against Beast Boy's shoulder once again.

"Raven, we don't have to pretend if we go back. We can still," Beast Boy's face flushed as he looked down at his hands, "Well, we can still be together. Even if we are Titans. Who cares?"

"You do know things will be different. I don't have my powers, there is nothing holding me back from being able to express my emotions. What if I'm no longer what you want?"

"I've always wanted you, Raven. I'll want you regardless. I love you." Beast Boy brushed his nose against Raven's forehead and gently pressed his lips against her soft skin. He guided her into a sitting position and kissed her tears away, licking the salty streams from her cheeks before resting his lips on hers.

Raven wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing Beast Boy back with an intense fervor. Beast Boy pushed Raven down onto the couch, his lips traveling down to her neck, nipping gently. His hands crawled underneath her shirt, his fingers tickling at her sides. Raven's light laugh only urged him on further. He pulled at her shirt and after little difficulty it was off. Looming over her he hastily yanked his off, a Cheshire grin plastered on his face.

"Now, what do you think you're about to do?" Raven asked, eyebrows raised. Slowly, she was scooting out from underneath him.

"Well, you know."

"No, enlighten me." She teased as she got up from the sofa, her face inches from his, as he remained kneeling on the cushion.

"I think we should practice, we only did it once after all. You don't want to forget how to…you know," Beast Boy's face was a bright red by this point and Raven tried her hardest to suppress her smile. "Well, have _sex_, do you?"

"I don't know, Gar. What if we do it _too_ much and it gets boring?" Raven began backing up toward the bedroom. She was no longer thinking about their deadline, about the decision they had to make. All she was thinking about was Beast Boy.

"Pfft, I doubt that'll ever happen. Trust me, Rae. Wait, was it boring for you?" He asked his voice filled with concern.

Raven edged closer to the bedroom, a small smile playing on her lips as she did so. "No, of course not. But, after thinking it over, I'm surprised to say that you do have a point. Maybe we should practice." Raven pushed her back against the door.

Beast Boy advanced quickly, his heart beating faster with each step. "And there's really no time like the present, right?"

"Right." In an instant, Beast Boy picked Raven up, pushed the door open with his foot, and threw her on the bed.

"Hours and hours of practice," he said before pouncing on Raven.

* * *

The night smelled of rain and the air was thick. Thunder could be heard in the distance and every now and then lightning would light up the bedroom like the flash of a camera. The cicadas' songs carried on the wind, reaching the open window every so often. Beast Boy lay on his side, his chin nuzzled in the crook of Raven's neck, his arm draped over her waist. It was peaceful. There were no emergencies to get to, no villains to fight, no surprise training sessions. They were a world away from their worries, Beast Boy thought. Even the impending decision they had to make and his current unemployment were shelved for the moment. Right now it was only them.

"What are you thinking about?" Beast Boy whispered, his warm breath on Raven's cheek.

She pursed her lips. "For once I'm not thinking. Well, I am, kind of. I want to stay like this. Just like this, in bed with you. Forever."

"I think we'll get bed sores, Rae," Beast Boy joked. "I understand, though. The world can keep spinning without us and maybe we can enjoy this for a while."

"What are you saying? Do you want to live this life?" Raven turned a to face Beast Boy. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling as if the answer to their dilemma would be written there. He sighed.

"I don't know what I want. I need you, Raven. But I don't know what I want. What about a list?"

Raven closed her eyes, cataloguing her experiences in both lives. "Here we don't have to worry about our powers or about being responsible for millions of people."

"We won't be made fun of by the guys for dating," Beast Boy added. "But we won't have our friends."

"And, over time, we'll miss helping people."

"I think we're at a standstill," he sighed while shaking his head. "It would be more productive doing eeny meeny miny moe."

"I thought it would be an easy choice. Going back is the rational thing to do. I wanted to go home but now, I don't know anymore. It's nice not having to worry." Raven rolled back over on her side and hugged her pillow to her body. She was afraid to say it aloud but inside she felt selfish. Living in this world felt as if she were letting down those she sought to protect. Raven liked using her powers for good she liked making a difference. But she also enjoyed the relief from only having to worry about Beast Boy and herself. "Mia said a few days. We need to make a decision. Soon."

"Soon doesn't have to be now. Look, it's almost morning. Tomorrow is Sunday and all I need to do is go down to Zen Garden and let Don try my soup. Let's get some rest, Rae. We'll talk tomorrow."

"This has been good for you, Garfield." Raven said, her eyes closing involuntarily.

"How so?" Beast Boy resumed cuddling his wife, relishing the lavender scent of her hair.

"You've matured, you're a lot more rational." She yawned.

"Well, you're a lot more relaxed. I think this has been good for both of us." Beast Boy held her tightly, refusing to let go. "Even if we do go back, we'll remember. We don't have to lose who we've become."

"If we go home, please don't let me hide in my room. Remind me to be more relaxed."

"I promise, Raven. Now, go to sleep." Beast Boy whispered, his own eyelids drooping. "What we'll be, we'll be. But I'll always be with you."

* * *

Oh man. I'm back. Life was weird and I had a difficulty writing for a long time. I feel that now I'm in a good place now and all the wonderful support I have gotten from you has encouraged me to finish this story. Thank you for never abandoning me and this fic, I truly appreciate all of you. This will have a proper ending, I promise. Also, I apologize if Beast Boy and Raven are somewhat OOC, I haven't written them in a very long time and I was really eager to get this finished and post if for you. I know this chapter is incredibly short compared to the others, but again, I wanted to post this ASAP. It's really a jumping off point for me. I tried very hard on this chapter. It was difficult to write and I hope it is good enough. I'm very nervous posting it after so long. The next chapter should come sooner than this one...much, much sooner. :)

Please read and review. I love you all.

XOXO,

Meg


	16. Decisions and Twist Ties

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. **

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**Chapter 16: Decisions and Twist Ties  
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_"That's why I'm singing, baby, don't worry__, Because now I've got your back_  
_ And every time you feel like crying__, I'm gonna try to make you laugh_  
_ And if I can't, if it just hurts too bad__, Then we'll wait for it to pass_  
_ And I will keep you company__, Through those days so long and black" _

_-Conner Oberst (Bright Eyes)_

The pair sat on the sofa, scribbling down the pros and cons of each world onto their respective pieces of paper. What began as a rainy morning transitioned into a sticky, humid late afternoon. The sky was dull, a shade so gray it hid the sun completely from view. Raven stared idly out the window, lost in the blankness of the day. These days were her favorite, the gray sky allowed for possibilities. They provided a blank slate, a tabula rasa—the opportunity for change.

Raven needed change. Ever since being transported to this "other world," Raven realized how lucky she was to be released from the powers that kept her chained to her emotions. The change was shaky at first but, over time, she had learned to allow herself a chance to _feel_ her emotions rather than suppress them.

"I put missing the team as a con for this world, too," Beast Boy said, peaking at Raven's sheet of loose leaf. His voice snapped Raven from her thoughts. Quickly, she clutched the paper to her chest and shook her head.

"You're not supposed to look. Remember?"

"I was just curious."

"We'll exchange lists when we're done. These need to be _our_ lists, we can't be swayed by each other's answers."

"Fine." Beast Boy turned toward the end table, removing the temptation to sneak another look at Raven's list. Beast Boy rubbed his temples, frustrated. Every time he put a point down for one world, throwing that one in the lead, the _other_ world would somehow catch up. No matter what he did, his lists remained tied.

He liked it here. The pressure being a superhero brought was nonexistent, all he had to worry about was keeping both himself and Raven happy.

But would he ever be truly happy without his powers? He shook his head. That was something he was not sure about. Tomorrow, he would still be happy and the next day. What about six months from now or a few years down the road, would he still be happy without them then? Beast Boy looked at Raven from the corner of his eye, he felt his heart beat faster.

Raven made him happy, she made him feel completely content with living in a world with no powers. He looked away, wishing he did not have to make the decision. "Rae, I don't know. Can we compare lists now? I can't do this on my own."

She scooted closer to him, putting a hand on his leg. "You don't have to do this on your own. We're together, Gar. I promise." The loyalty Beast Boy heard in Raven's voice touched him deeply. He smiled and put a hand on hers.

"No matter the decision, we _will_ be together." He kissed Raven's jaw, his cool lips upon her warm skin sent shivers down her spine. "Look at me." Beast Boy took Raven's chin in his hand and turned her head to face his. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"We're going to be okay."

"Okay," Raven said, nodding. Beast Boy rested his head against her shoulder, taking in the sweet smell of her hair. He closed his eyes, longing to lose his thoughts to her perfumed locks.

"Like a summer rainstorm on the beach." He whispered, so close to his fictitious beach he could almost hear the waves lapping the shore.

Raven placed her head on Beast Boy's. Her eyes were fixated on the wall, but her gaze extended beyond the surface, tugged into the past. Raven was pulled by her memories into a time when she was ruled by her emotions. How desperately she tried to keep herself balanced, it was an uphill battle she had to fight each day. Sometimes she no longer wanted to fight, but something inside her told Raven it would be a waste to give up.

"Remember before we came here? I had so much control, I was so focused," Raven said. She brushed her hair back behind one ear and sighed. "But I was also pretty lonely. It's weird. No matter how hard I tried, the one emotion that kept coming back to me over and over was, well, sadness."

"Not anger, or joy?"

"No. It was sadness. Not even meditation could keep it at bay for long. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Sometimes I'd feel this wetness on my face and I'd convince myself there was a leak in the roof or something. I had this notebook. On every page I wrote 'I am not sad' whenever I felt like I was about to fall apart. When I ran out of room, I stashed it in a drawer in my nightstand and started a new one."

"Why didn't you tell any of us? We could have helped you!" Beast Boy said, repositioning himself so that Raven's head was now on his chest and his arms were wrapped around her shoulders.

"I didn't want to get too close. It was such a burden. Beside, having a relationship with anyone would be as ludicrous as a—a bear suddenly becoming a vegetarian." Raven covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "It would never have worked."

"I hate to break it to you, Rae…but technically I _am_ a vegetarian bear. Er, well, _was_." Beast Boy joked. "So, it isn't that ludicrous. There is always a way to fix things."

"You're ever the optimistic, as always. I'm glad one of us is."

"Me too." Beast Boy rubbed his nose against Raven's head. She looked up at him, smiling shyly. He kissed her lips gently. Raven sat up to gain more leverage, falling deeper into his kiss. When their lips parted, Beast Boy could see the blush on her cheeks, a bright crimson against her soft, pale skin. He nuzzled his head against her red face, laughing as he did so.

"You act so much like a puppy. Even when not one." Raven mused. Beast Boy gave her face a quick lick and grinned.

"I'll miss that if we don't go home. I love my powers, changing into animals. I loved the wind hitting my face while flying, the ground moving under my paws, the loudness of my roar. I want to feel those things again. There's this part of me, it's stupid…" Beast Boy trailed off, trying to avoid Raven's eyes.

"No, tell me." She implored, it was not often Beast Boy discussed his powers in such seriousness and Raven was intent on discovering more.

"Well, there's this part of me that feels so untamed, so _wild_. I feel like I can be free while in an animal's body. It's nice being able to let that side of me loose. There is nothing like shifting. It's such a weird experience."

"How so? What does it feel like?"

Beast Boy laughed, amused by Raven's curiosity. He closed his eyes, envisioning the process. "You're human. You've got 206 bones. Let's say I'm becoming the puppy you mentioned. That's 115 more bones, four legs, and a tail. I can feel the bones in my body shifting and I can feel them break as they move into place.

"My chest expands and my face lengthens to accommodate the snout. It feels like I'm dry heaving, as if all my organs are going to rise up my throat and come out my mouth. But that doesn't happen. Everything around me starts coming to life. Sounds are sharper, smells are more pungent, my sight is keener. All of this happens in a matter of seconds but to me the world slows down, moments become centuries while shifting.

"There is this strange pleasure that comes with all of it. I know it sounds awful, but really, it isn't. It isn't at all. I feel so accomplished when shifting. Not everyone can do it.

"Being an animal is an adrenaline rush. Nothing can stop me; I have this power, this energy. I can be intimidating as a lion and graceful while a swan. Animals are allowed to be themselves; they don't face scrutiny for what they are. Dogs are allowed to bark and alligators are expected to bite. And I like that." Beast Boy paused. Tears were forming in his eyes. Sighing, he did his best to suppress them. "When I go back to being myself, I feel relieved to have been able to let go of all my stress. It's very cathartic, letting the beast out of the cage."

Silence fell over the two as they sat lost in their thoughts. Beast Boy daydreamed about running through the forest as a dog, his heart aching. He loved Raven and would do anything to help her make the pain go away, the pain her powers brought. But he was conflicted. He missed shifting.

Raven watched Beast Boy, his eyes closed, lips pressed together in an even line. She knew what he was thinking; she did not need her powers to feel the frustration emanating from his body. Raven hated seeing him so distressed, this was not the Beast Boy she knew.

She knew how to handle her powers and she knew he was not prepared to deal with his lack of them. Raven was apprehensive about their future, regardless of whether they went back to being Titans or stayed in this universe. Either way, one of them was going to have to adapt in order to make their relationship work. She looked down at her hands, knowing what she had to do, what she was giving up to make Beast Boy happy. "We are going home, Garfield."

"No. No, no, no. What about you? I'm not letting you be stuck inside yourself again," Beast Boy said jumping to his feet.

"I feel the same way about you. Garfield, I know you need your powers to feel whole. Even when we were Titans I knew how much you loved being an animal. Any animal. I don't want you to miss your life. I don't want you to be stuck in a world where you can't be completely content. I want you to be carefree, happy." Raven stood and kissed Beast Boy's cheek. She picked up the two lists that rested on the coffee table and on tore them up into tiny bits, throwing the pieces onto the floor. "These lists don't matter."

"I don't want you depressed, either. If we go home, you'll be a shell of what you are now."

"I'll find a way to express myself." Raven smiled. "I never truly figured out how to display my emotions in a healthy manner. Honestly, I never had a reason to try. But you're my reason now," Raven said. Her eyes bore into Beast Boy's as she held his hands tightly in hers. "I will make it work, but you have to help me."

"We're a good team, Raven. We'll figure it out." Beast Boy nodded and brought her into a tight hug. "I promise. There has to be a way to do it, right? A medicine to calm you or maybe a different type of meditation?"

"Yeah, maybe," Raven said, a note of uncertainty in her voice.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, releasing her from the hug so he could look her in the eyes. "You know, we need to be sure, Raven. What happens if we go back and can't find a solution? It does us no good to return if we can't be together."

"Like I said, I'll make it work. We will make it work." Raven nodded firmly. "We're going home."

The telephone rang out through the apartment, causing both Beast Boy and Raven to snap out of their thoughts. Beast Boy moved to the end table and picked up the phone. "Uh, hello?"

"Garfield! It's me, Don."

"Oh! Hi, Don. Did you try the soup yet?" As soon as he woke up that morning, Beast Boy prepared a fresh batch of his peanut soup.

"I sure did. It was a tad spicy, but I think you have a knack for cooking. I would like you to come on as my sous-chef. Eventually I'd like it if you became the head chef, but I'll have to teach you first. You've got potential, Gar. We'll start tomorrow. Prep starts at nine, what do you say?"

Beast Boy's fist shot into the air out of excitement. "Sure, I'll be there at nine. Bright and early. Thank you so much, Don."

"You earned it. See you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye," Beast Boy threw the phone onto the couch and jumped onto the coffee table. "I got it, I got it, I got it! I'm _so_ awesome. He said I earned it. All those years of cooking paid off." Raven took hold of Beast Boy's hand and stared up at him.

"Congratulations, Gar." Raven moved over to the couch and rested against one of its arms. Beast Boy knew what she was thinking and jumped down from the coffee table. He sat down on the sofa and threw his head back against the cushion.

"I'll only be a chef for a few days. Then back to being a Titan."

"You don't sound as excited anymore."

"Well, I don't know. This is so cool; I love cooking. But, we're going back." Beast Boy's head started to ache. He slumped down in the sofa, defeated.

Raven crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Gar, you can still cook as a Titan. What's stopping you?"

"Nothing, but I'd be working in a restaurant. I'd be cooking for the masses."

Raven did not know what to say. It was silent as the two mulled over their thoughts. When they were first thrown into this strange world, everything was black and white. Raven wanted nothing more than to go home and continue living as a superhero. But now, now things were complicated. Not only were her powers an issue, but also they would be losing so many opportunities only this world could provide.

"It's like, I want to have my cake and eat it too." Beast Boy suggested, his voice low and filled with aggravation. Raven put a hand on his shoulder, massaging it gently.

"I know. But, maybe you can. I have an idea."

"What?"

"Well, what if, when we return home, we bring this life back with us? What's stopping us? We're already going to work on my powers. You can be a cook. At the very least, you can take cooking classes," Raven said. Her cheeks flushed for the second time that day and she looked down at her shoes to hide her face as she continued, "Maybe, um, maybe we can, well," She stammered.

"Maybe we can what?"

Beast Boy looked lovingly up at Raven, urging her to continue and to not be nervous. "Um, share a room? It could be like now. All of it, we just need to adapt. It doesn't have to end with my powers. It doesn't have to go back to normal once we return. We can change everything."

"Everything like it is right now? Just as Titans?" Beast Boy asked, making sure he heard her correctly. The idea of sharing a room in the tower excited him, after sleeping in bed with her he would hate to return to being separated.

"If you don't want to share a room we don't have to."

"No, I do. Trust me," He began with a mischievous smile, "I really, really do. I'm just nervous. What about Cy, Robin, and Star? I never really thought about it until now, but what will they think about us suddenly becoming a couple?"

Raven put a finger to her lips in consideration, this was something she did not think of, either. "Well, they're going to have to find out eventually. I'm sure they'll be supportive."

Beast Boy nodded, his blond hair swaying with the sharp movement. He was apprehensive about his friends' reactions, but was sure that with time, they would be accepting of their newfound relationship. "Let's take a break from all of this worrying. I'm getting hungry, I'll make us some dinner." With those words, Beast Boy walked into the kitchen, Raven trailing behind him. In the refrigerator he found: lettuce, feta, cranberries, and apples. "How about a salad? With a side of tofu?"

"As long as the tofu isn't bland." A playful smile formed on Raven's lips as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Oh, my dear…it's never bland," Beast Boy said. Quickly, he took the ingredients from the refrigerator and began to work his magic. He cooked as Raven set the table. The scent wafting through the tiny apartment made Raven's stomach growl, and she continued to look over at Beast Boy, anxiously awaiting the food. By the time Raven was finished setting down the silverware, Beast Boy's dinner was complete. "Voila! Marinated tofu with a cranberry an apple salad, and a fresh baguette; I'd say it's worthy of Food Network acclaim." Beast Boy took he and Raven's plates and began serving up the food.

"I don't doubt it. Bobby Flay would be proud."

"You think? I don't like him very much. I'm more of a Giada fan."

"Honestly, I don't know much about either of them. I'm more of a Travel Channel fan." Raven confessed as she put a slice of tofu into her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste.

"Oh? So you do watch TV."

"Well, yes. Usually when everyone is out." She shrugged slightly. Beast Boy watched her from across the table. He watched the light from the lamp flicker in her blue eyes. He watched as she brushed the hair out of her eyes and as she licked her lips after taking a bite of the salad. Everything about her was so graceful, so otherworldly. Yet, here she sat, right in front of him. Raven was not what he expected her to be. He always knew she was strong and, as much as he did not want to admit it, he always knew she was beautiful. But it was different now. She had a vulnerable side, too. And she was not just beautiful she was _lovely_. He loved her.

"Raven. I—I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" Raven put down her fork and stared at Beast Boy, waiting for him to speak. Slowly, Beast Boy stood and walked over to where Raven was sitting. His palms were sweaty as he knelt down before her, placing his shaky hands on her knees.

"Raven. I love you so much, more than these two worlds can contain. It doesn't matter to me where we live as long as I'm living with you. You make me smile and, believe it or not, you make me laugh. You and I are supposed to be together.

"I don't have a ring, right now. Oh, this'll work." Beast Boy reached up onto the table and grabbed the baguette, undoing the twist tie that kept it in its bag and fashioned the red tie into a ring. He presented it to her. "Raven, will you marry me…er, again?"

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Thank you for such wonderful reviews. I really appreciate all of you continuing to read and enjoy my story. I really hope you liked this chapter; I'm trying very hard to dust the cobwebs off. This is probably one of the last chapters for this story. I suspect that there will be two more. Ahhh! I'm excited, are you? There may be a sequel in store for this story, but that all depends on what I do with the ending of this. What do you think, should there be a sequel?

Also, please check my profile—I'll be posting updates there. Please let me know what you think about the ideas I have for possible Teen Titans stories. I'm curious if there would be an interest in any of the things I have come up with. And, I need a Beta for some upcoming stuff, so please PM me if you would like to lend a hand!

XOXO,

Meg


	17. Changes

Hi, I'm back. I'm sorry for being away for so long. This year has been very hard. Last summer, my mother was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). In March of 2011 she passed away. It's been a very difficult year, full of sadness. I didn't feel as if I could do much of anything, let alone write this fic. It was hard to get back into this but I'm happy that I did. I didn't want to abandon it; I didn't want to let you down. All of you have been amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Every time I saw a new review pop up after all these months I was astounded and touched that people were still reading my story. I really appreciate it. I'm sure many didn't think I'd finish, at times I didn't think I would either, but I guess it's better late than never, right? There will be one more chapter after this. Possibly two, but probably one. Anyway, here it is.

XOXO,  
Meg

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**Chapter 17: Changes**

_Hey, I got plenty of time. Hey, you got light in your eyes. And you're standing here beside me. Out of the passing of time. Never for money, always for love. Cover up and say goodnight, say goodnight  
-_"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" -The Talking Heads

The twist tie sat snug against the wedding band Madame LaVeau had given Raven long ago. Its delicate ends looped together to hug her pale finger; so simple compared to the sapphire clad silver band, yet more genuine. Unable to form words, Raven slowly nodded.

"Does that mean yes?" He asked his voice thick with anxiety. "I really want it to be a yes. But no pressure, I mean you can totally do what you want." He looked down at the tiled kitchen floor. "But I hope its yes," he whispered.

Silence hung over the kitchen like a thick fog. Raven sat with her hands folded on top of the kitchen table and looked at Beast Boy, her eyes half hidden behind her hair. She liked how prickly his cheek felt against hers when he hadn't shaved in a couple days, she liked how there was always just a hint of mischief in his eyes. Before this, she never really thought of qualities she found appealing in a person, she only knew about the traits that frustrated her. It was much easier to find faults than to admit to finding others likeable or attractive, easier to dismiss people rather than give them a chance. She never realized how much she liked Beast Boy until they ended up in this situation; how much she may have always liked him but was too keen on ignoring him when got too close.

"I wouldn't want a big wedding," Raven began quietly, a small blush creeping up her neck, "And I'd like to wait a while if we go back to our old lives. We would be too young. And we'd need to make everything work. With my powers, that is." She looked up from the red band on her left ring finger.

"Anything you want, I just want to be with you." A grin spread across Beast Boy's lips. He got up from his knee and gently placed his hands on Raven's arms. As he stared into her eyes and Raven felt a surge of emotion begin to crawl up her stomach and into her chest, her heart beat with a certain purpose. She wanted to live by side; she wanted to feel happiness. No matter where they ended up, Raven knew she would be with Beast Boy. She smiled; the blush that started out on her neck spread across the rest of her face. Raven looked at him, too scared to blink—fearing that if she blinked he would disappear.

"We'll stick together."

Beast Boy helped Raven to her feet so she was standing in the middle of the kitchen with him and brought her close to his body. "I love you, Raven."

"Well, that's very good to hear because I love you, too." She put her ear to his chest, the fast drumming of his heartbeat calming and melodic. It was comforting to feel his heart race just as quick as hers was. He was warm, his embrace soft. Raven allowed herself the chance to close her eyes, his warm arms wrapped around her proof enough that he wouldn't vanish.

It had been a long day; Raven still felt the doubt about whether they should stay in this world or return home rolling around in her head. The lists they worked on had not resolved much for her; it was the look in Beast Boy's eyes when he spoke about his powers that made her realize what decision had to be made. But even though she had told Beast Boy they should return home, part of her wanted to stay put. She liked how ordinary life was; how much easier everything could be. It was a comfort knowing she wouldn't destroy something every time she became upset. However, she knew going home was what she and Beast Boy would be doing, what they needed. Raven knew how important it would be to learn how to control her powers and remain strong without compromising her emotions.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about that; she was happy in the moment. The future could wait. Slowly, she shifted in his embrace so that she could see his face and was no longer pressed against him. She looked into his eyes; their color reminded her of grass after a long rainstorm, bright and vibrant. The glint of mischief she loved so much flashed behind the surface. Beast Boy moved his hands to her waist, his fingers gently gliding over the fabric of her shirt, a tickling sensation that made her shudder.

"That tickles." She said in an even voice, fighting the urge to laugh.

"I know. That's why I'm doing it." He continued to run his fingers over her sides. Raven narrowed her eyes but could not stop the smile from forming, she started to laugh.

"It's not funny. Really, not." She said as she tried to get away. Beast Boy held onto her, inching her backward until she was pressed against the wall.

"It isn't? Because you keep laughing and that makes it seem like you think it's funny." Beast Boy stared at her with a serious expression as he proceeded to tickle her. His hands slowly moved up her torso, his fingers surreptitiously brushing against her chest.

"Oh, so that's what this is about? You want to _practice_ some more?" She gasped as his fingers roamed over her. Desire washed over Raven. Her heart was racing, but this time it wasn't from nerves.

"Maybe," He said impishly. "But I also like hearing you laugh."

Raven suppressed her laughter long enough to place her hands on Beast Boy's face. "Why is it that when you start tickling me it evolves into sex?" Before he could respond, she pressed her lips hard against his, pushing all her needs onto him. Beast Boy stopped tickling her; his fingers now too busy finding their way underneath her shirt. There was an ease in movement—little anxiety; much different than the first time they had sex. It felt even more effortless than the second time.

"Third time's the charm, right?" Beast Boy said between kisses. Every touch, every gasp felt understood. Beast Boy moved his hands from Raven's stomach to her thighs and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him, her hands still on his face; she nibbled at his lower lip, eliciting a moan.

"Let's go to the bedroom." Raven whispered hoarsely.

"Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked. Raven's nod was all Beast Boy needed. Carefully, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He got on the bed and, leaning over her, pressed his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes. "Please be with me."

"Always," Raven whispered. Beast Boy placed kisses on her jaw as he continued to move his lips down to her collarbone. Biting her lower lip, Raven gently pushed him away and rolled Beast Boy onto his back so that he was lying down. She sat on the bed beside him and slowly slid her shirt over her head and wiggled out of her jeans, letting them fall to the floor. "I think in order for us to do this you need to be undressed, too," Raven said as she began toying with the edge of Beast Boy's shirt. "This needs to come off."

"I think you're flirting with me." He laughed, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it across the room with gusto. Raven shook her head, laughing, as she ran her hands down Beast Boy's stomach toward his pants, she watched as he closed his eyes. His eyelashes were long. Raven reached out and ran her thumb along them, admiring how dark they were and how they curled so softly. Holding her breath, she undressed him.

"Don't open your eyes."

"But yours are open." He said with a slight whine. "I want to see you, too."

"I know you do. Be patient." Raven crawled on top of him. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her and traced her shoulder blades with his fingers. She kissed the side of his neck and nibbled at his ear with her teeth. In the stillness of the room, their breathing was the only sound. Raven was happy; she never thought being so near someone was possible. With the future so uncertain, Raven was determined to enjoy this moment. She was in love and, for once, was able to live to the fullest extent.

Raven ran her fingers across Beast Boy's left temple. "You can open your eyes."

"I like looking at you." He smiled, before guiding her lips to his. She felt the yearning in her grow and gave herself over to the moment. She did not feel vulnerable in his embrace; Raven felt stronger with Beast Boy. Never before had she allowed someone to see her, all of her. There was no room for fear with their bodies pressed against one another, hearts racing side-by-side, whispers of pleasure only they could hear.

Beast Boy woke up to the sound of pigeons cooing outside. Rolling over to peer out the window, he saw three pigeons perched on the windowsill staring into the bedroom. "Perverts," he whispered as he sat up, still tired from last night.

He grinned as he peered over his shoulder. Raven was still asleep, snoring lightly and wrapped in a mess of blankets. She was lovely, even with her dark hair a tangled mess. Beast Boy had always found Raven to be beautiful. Even before this, when they argued, he found himself drawn to her. He didn't know how to handle his feelings for Raven before this happened. He realized now that he provoked Raven because it was another way of getting closer to her. Gently, Beast Boy pushed a piece of hair off her face and kissed her on the cheek before getting out of bed.

"I'll let you sleep, Rae." He put on pajama bottoms and set out for the kitchen. Dishes with half-eaten dinner sat on the kitchen table. Everything stopped last night after he had proposed to her. Things changed from that point on. No longer was their marriage a nightmare they were thrown into with no choice. Now it was something Beast Boy wanted, something he knew Raven wanted as well.

"I'm engaged. To Raven." He laughed as he picked up the dirty dishes and put them in the sink. "I wonder what Cyborg will think." Picturing the shocked look on his friend's face made him laugh even harder. He missed his friends and would be happy to see them again, happy to get back to his old life. But things would never be the same, he knew that. He felt so much older now, so much more aware of how his actions affected others. It would be a relief to get back to the life he had left but doubt tugged at his heart. Would he want to give this up? The freedom he had here, the quiet life?

Things would certainly change in more ways than one. Beast Boy scrubbed the dishes absentmindedly; his mind lost to hypothetical situations where enemies discovered his intimate relationship with Raven and used it to their advantage. What would they do to her? The dish fell from Beast Boy's hand and landed on the floor with a clean crack down the center.

"Dammit." He shook his head and picked up the two pieces. Beast Boy knew she could take care of herself, in some ways she was much more powerful than he. But the thought still lingered.

"Garfield?" Raven's sleepy voice echoed from the bedroom.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you up."

"I heard something break." Beast Boy turned to see Raven standing by the kitchen table, startled, he jumped.

"Are you a ghost? How'd you just appear like that?" He asked, clutching his heart. Noticing that Raven was wearing clothes, he sighed. "And you know you didn't have to get all dressed up just to impress me. I'm totally fine with you walking around naked."

Raven rolled her eyes, a smirk on her lips. She walked up to Beast Boy and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sure you are fine with that. And no, I'm not a ghost—I think you should know that by now. Next time I enter a room I'll stomp my feet to give you fair warning."

"Thank you." He wrapped his arms around Raven's waist. "I was going to surprise you with pancakes."

"I'll try to be more aware of your surprises in the future," She teased.

"That's all I ask." Beast Boy said. There was a long silence, Beast Boy's thoughts drifted back to scenarios where Raven would be kidnapped because of him. He had never felt this kind of fear before. Usually he threw himself into action without taking the time to think about the consequences. Now he was not so sure. The idea of someone hurting Raven made him livid. He felt his face growing red, his pulse racing.

"What's wrong?" Raven took a step back, her eyes boring into his.

"I'm scared. I want to go back but what if Slade or someone finds out about us being together. Don't you think that's dangerous?"

Raven's brow furrowed. He watched as she thought over the question carefully before answering. "Well, everything we do is dangerous; we're a team of superheroes. It's not as if we haven't been in a fatal situation before."

"But it's different now. I don't want you to be in danger."

"I don't want you in danger, either. But if we go back, we'll be superheroes again." Raven nuzzled her head into Beast Boy's chest, he held onto her tighter, enjoying feeling her so near. "Even if we don't go back, this world poses dangers as well. Life is always going to be difficult. No matter where we end up, we'll be together and knowing that will make living a little bit easier." Beast Boy rested his chin on Raven's head, he knew she was right. There would always be danger no matter where they lived; at least in the other world they would be equipped to dealing with it. "Let's go home, Garfield. We'll find our niche and make it work. We'll protect others and each other." She said softly as if knowing what he was thinking.

"What about you, though? Your powers?"

"Who knows," she began with a shaky laugh, "maybe there's something I haven't looked into yet. We'll work on that, I'm still only a teenager, after all. There's still time to figure it out."

"We will, Rae." He whispered. They were going home. Rather than thinking only about himself, he now had Raven to consider. She was now a part of his future. He smiled, happy to know that she would be beside him.

The day carried on quickly. They spent the day in their apartment, quietly going through the motions. Beast Boy made them breakfast, Raven took a shower. Now that they had their decision, Beast Boy felt as if this world was slipping through his fingers. It felt different, as if they were no longer a part of it, as if the world was getting ready for them to depart. They sat on the couch, Beast Boy staring at the blank television screen, Raven reading a book. It was quiet, the afternoon still and calm as sunlight pooled on the floor near the windows. Beast Boy felt the tranquility trying it's best to envelop him, but his body was just not taking it. He was tense, anxious about their choice, but he was ready, ready to go back.

The buzzer rang breaking up the silence of their day.

This was it, he looked at Raven. She was gazing at the door, the book still open on her lap. She appeared just as nervous as he felt.

"Do you think it's her?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes."

"It's too soon. Do you think it's too soon? Maybe if we don't answer she'll go away." Beast Boy ran a shaky hand through his hair. He was scared to make this decision, there were so many possibilities.

"You know she won't. Soon came a bit sooner than expected, though." Raven grabbed his hand and led him to the front door. Her hand was just as clammy as his. "We'll be together no matter what," Raven whispered. She unlocked the door and opened it to reveal Mia Laveau standing on the other side. Beast Boy was surprised at how plainly dressed the woman was. Her hair in a ponytail, wearing jeans and a button down flannel shirt—somehow, it was comforting.

"Bonjour," she said in her thick accent, smiling sweetly. Without a word, Raven nodded for Mia to come inside and closed the door behind her. "Have you come to your decision?"

Beast Boy looked at Raven, at the determination etched on her face. She was ready to give up so much for him.

"I think so," Raven said.

"Wait! No." He looked at Mia and then at Raven. "Maybe she could help. It's worth a shot."

"Help with what?" Mia asked; her voice soft.

"With Raven's powers, it's hard for her to express emotions." He said. Mia folded her hands under her chin and stared at him for a long time before speaking.

"I think there may be something I can do. You are quite strong Raven, capable of things you may not even realize. You are willing to sacrifice your happiness for Garfield's; you are a brave young woman. You don't need my help, you just need a way. I can give you the tools you need to help yourself. Go back to the carnival when you return home. Go back to my mother, she will be there waiting for you."

Raven looked up at Mia and nodded. Another run in with Madame Laveau sounded like a risk but it was one she was willing to take. If Madame Laveau could help her, it would be well worth it. She looked at Beast Boy.

"We are going home, Mia." Raven said firmly.

"Very good." Mia clapped her hands together in excitement. "I will miss you both very much, but I'm sure I'll see you again."

"Don't you live here, though?" Beast Boy asked.

"I live many places." She said enigmatically, a grin on her lips. "Enough about me." She pulled a tiny glass vial out of her pocket. The liquid swirled and moved as if it were alive, it was cloudy, a soft silver. "This is what you need to get back."

"That's it?" Raven said with a skeptical tone. Mia uncorked the vial and approached the pair.

"Oh, it's very powerful. Now, I want you both to give me your left hands. Actually, it might be a good idea if you sit down for this."

Raven and Beast Boy sat down on the couch, Mia standing before them. Raven placed her right hand in Beast Boy's, he gripped it tightly. "Are you ready?" She asked. Beast Boy nodded.

They lifted their left hands toward Mia, the silver rings on their fingers glimmering in the waning daylight. Carefully, Mia poured the liquid over their fingers. It was cold and felt like oil, dripping from their fingers onto the floor. Raven watched as the ring glowed and expanded until it hung loose around her finger.

Suddenly, she began to feel tired, her eyelids growing heavy. Her body felt limp and sluggish. It took all her strength to remain sitting up. She looked at Beast Boy and saw his eyes were shut; his head swaying back and forth. Everything felt so far away, so blurry. She tried gripping Beast Boy's hand tighter but she did not have the strength. The rings fell from their fingers and to the ground. Raven fought to keep her eyes open and looked down at her finger, the red twist tie was still there. She smiled, letting the desire to sleep take over.

Like I said, I'm sorry for my absence. It's been a very tough year for me but I thank you all if you are still reading and enjoying this. I hope this chapter was all right, I really do. If anyone is wondering, I was looking over older chapters and I didn't like how I was writing out Mia's accent, that's why it's not written out here.

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You guys are so wonderful; I'm not going to let this fic go without an ending. I think the next chapter will be its last. Part of me wants to write a sequel, I want to see what happens once they return. I didn't know if they were going to return or not until I wrote this chapter. I think it's good that they did, though. I really enjoyed writing this fic and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please review. I love all of you.

Also, I have a blog now and I plan on posting a lot of writing up on it. If you like my writing, I would be completely over the moon if you checked out my blog. Also, it's an easier way to get ahold of me (I check it often). It's on my profile but I'll put it here, too. It's inkstainedoctopus(dot)blogspot(dot)com –Just replace the (dot) with an actual period (obviously).

XOXO,

Meg


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